One More!
by noi'mafraidnot
Summary: Nettling a goddess is one thing, challenging her is quite another. *ENDGAME SPOILERS*
1. Chapter 1

Persona 4: One More!

Life was dull.

After all my battles, all the striving to reach the truth and all that, that's what I found out. Life without fighting gods, shadows, and the odd Teddie hug was just... dull. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Sure, i'm back in the city and there are certainly worse places to be, but it's not quite the same. Least I got to keep my Kage-Daichi, which is stuffed deep, DEEP into my closet. After all, I can't have my parents thinking i'm some sort of sword nut. Then again, I can only imagine the looks on their faces if they caught me going through random sword forms in the middle of my bedroom. Heh, probably wouldn't be worth the jail time though.

"Seta-kun, are you listening? Please answer the question." I blinked heavily, rising to my feet with an exaggerated sigh. I cleared my throat before answering as all eyes in the room turned to me.

Never one to waste an opportunity to show off like a jackass, I flashed my most charming grin. "Takanichi-kun, you can't be serious. We went over this last year, and that was in the "bumpkin town" you keep mentioning when you think i'm not listening. The answer is the Patagonian ice field, not Columbian as you seem to think it was."

About three minutes later, after Takanichi realized that I not only called him -kun, but disgraced his teaching and dragged out his dirty laundry in front of the entire class, I found myself landed right in the office again. Another sigh escaped my lips as I stared lazily at the ceiling fan. Quite a nice fan it was, what with it being all... spinny. And rotational. I found myself thinking back to Inaba once more, all the good times I had...

If only I could go back.

"Hmhmhmhm... Very well then, Child of Man." I felt a strange presence in my mind, one I hadn't felt since-

Aw, shit. The air seemed to... seam, right in front of me as a peculiarly clad silverette stepped out of the now opened portal. Her smile was not quite devilish, but certainly not welcoming as she took a seat beside me. She laid her hands on her lap as she turned her head slightly to look at me. "So then, you wish to return to Inaba? Back to where it all began, and where it ended?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

I couldn't believe it. She was literally waiting _just_ so that she could pop in at the perfect time to disrupt my thinking. "Don't you goddesses have, you know, more important things to do than bother moody high schoolers?" I raised an eyebrow, a grin plastered on my face. "Or maybe you're looking for tips on how to fight?" Her previously serene appearance faded, and her eyes turned to steel.

"I see, Child of Man. So, you wish even now to toy with me? Very well then, we shall play a game. And what a glorious game it shall be... Just remember this, if you hadn't been so insolent..." She trailed off, another tear appearing behind her as she stepped into it.

"I may have just made an oopsie." I muttered to myself as the door opened. I turned to look at the door, but... I couldn't move. I tried turning my neck, moving my arms, but nothing worked. A figure knelt down in front of me, shaking it's head.

"Ah, foolish, foolish child." He said, chuckling slightly. "Provoking her like that is truly a foolish thing to do. Then again, you have always been a Fool, have you not?" He rose, and a light began forming around me. "Remember, young one, that you are not without allies in this game. Perhaps I will even assist you once more." Darkness began to envelop the sides of my vision. "I will see you then, Souji."

It was around that point that I blacked out. After a few moments, vision began to flood in once more, and I was on a train. I looked around, making sure this wasn't some symbolic or metaphysical type of thing, and saw only the normal commuters that you would find on a train. I continued to look, searching for anyone suspcious, but nobody popped out at me. I sighed, resolving to remain prepared as I looked out the window. After all, Izanami could be pulling all kinds of shit and I wouldn't have a clue. Bit annoying, that. I pulled out my phone, ready for a cryptic message of some sort, but saw only a newly sent message. I decided to take a peek at it, and had to read it through a few times before I really understood what it said.

_Will be there in three hours, Dojima-san. Will you be picking me up at the station? -Seta _

I took a deep breath, trying my best not to curse the ever living piss out of Izanami. I mean, is this even fair? Really? How many things could this affect? I mean, this is on a completely unprecedente-

And then I passed out again, as that seems to be the way of things. When I awoke, I found myself in quite the familiar environment; the Velvet Room. Igor sat there, clasped hands under his massive nose, and Margaret was flipping through the pages of her book. I blinked a few times, eyebrow raised. They didn't seem to notice me, so I had to clear my throat. Margaret blinked, looking up from her Compendium and meeting my eyes. Her eyebrow raised, her mouth slightly open in a wordless, but completely understandable gesture. "What in the _hell?_" Igor, for his part, managed to stay quite cool with it, nothing but a knowing grin plastered on his face.

"So then, it appears you have set on yet another journey, Seta-san. May I inquire as to how this... peculiarity happened?" Igor asked in his wheezing voice, a dry chuckle emitting from his lips. I rubbed my temple, wondering precisely how I could put it. After all of a couple of seconds of deliberation, I decided on the most reasonable course of action.

"FUUUUUUUUUCK YOU IZANAMIIIIIIIIII!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, head pointed towards the ceiling. The limousine was filled with only silence for a few moments before I cleared my throat and collected my thoughts. "Well then, it appears that I have nettled a vengeful goddess, and she has gotten quite furious with me. She appears to have set me in a time loop of some sort, at least according to my cursory view of events. However, the evidence isn't quite irrefutable yet, as all I have is an easily manipulable cell phone message, and an expected visit to this very Velvet Room. Now, if I may ask a few questions myself?" I explained, allowing my cooler mind to take over. Venting anger, after all, allows one to reduce stress and think more clearly. It was also pretty damn fun.

"But of course, Seta-san. What do you need from us?" Igor allowed, as his eyes twinkled. He seemed to have gotten quite the kick from seeing such an unexpected side of me. Igor's a bit of a bastard. I grabbed a drink from the cooler next to me, cracking it open irritably. I took a sip without looking at it, and winced. Fruit juice. Really. Some kind of manifestation of my psyche this is, can't even serve decent drinks.

I turned to Margaret, trying to at least enjoy the juice. "Margaret, what is the state of my Personae Compendium?" I asked, sipping at the can. Fruit punch, at least, not too horrible. She opened up the book to the Persona registry, and my eyes lit up in delight. I licked my lips, poring over the massive amounts of Personae at my disposal. My mind began to marvel at the possibilities, what I could actually _do_ with such power so early on. I shook my head, reminding myself that this could easily be part of Izanami's "game", as she so kindly put it. "Thank you, Margaret. Quite surprising that she wasn't able to manipulate it, yes?" I asked, my eyes narrowing slightly.

"The Velvet Room is beyond the influence of gods, other than Master's..." She stopped herself and glanced towards Igor, looking worried. Sounded like something I wasn't supposed to hear, so obviously I was intrigued. I leaned closer to Igor, my eyes and grin both equally wide. Igor, for once, looked almost uncomfortable as he leaned back in his seat.

"My apologies, but I am not at liberty to speak of such things. In any case, it appears that the gods have taken an interest in your fate, and even now a battle rages over your... involvement, in these matters. Izanami is, after all, not the only god that has taken notice of you as of late." His eyes regained their twinkle as his grin widened. "Regardless, we will have to speak of this some other time, it appears that you have arrived at your destination. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish from here on... Farewell, Seta-san."

My eyes opened, and I was back on the train. "Yaso-inaba," the driver drawled, "Yaso-inaba. Please disembark from the train." I blinked, wiping my face and reaching up for where I assumed my pack to be. My assumation was correct, and I hastily got out of the train, squinting as my eyes met the full force of the sunlight. I yawned once more, blocking the sun from my eyes with one hand while scanning the landing for the Dojima Duo. Man, I am so sticking with that nickname, best one I've ever come up with on the spot. After a few brief moments, I began to stride over to them. I braced myself for the awkward introductions, when I saw the strangest thing.

Nanako was... smiling? Standing beside Dojima, instead of behind him? This wasn't right, Nanako was incredibly timid the first time we met. As I began to doubt whether or not I was right about the whole time travel thing, I started wondering. There was something about those Social Links or something, right? Through the greatest distances, the bond will remain strong and all that? ...I suppose time is a distance of sorts, but it's quite the stretch... I put it out of mind; if I was right, then it'll be a happier household, if i'm wrong, then I haven't gone back in time at all and can deal with things with all of my friends. Pfft, Yosuke would probably be thrilled to have another crack at the vengeful goddess.

"Hello there, Souji-kun." Dojima said, sticking a hand out with a smile on his face. I took it, eyebrow raised. I decided to test the waters, see what's going on.

"It's been a while, Dojima-san." I replied, a grin on my face as well. Fairly good, could be applicable in both the past and "present", unless the "present" is only theoretical, in which case- Right, perhaps we'll do the philosophy later. Good lord, I can be really bad at that, with the ranting anywa- Aw, hell.

"Heh, indeed it has. Last time I saw you, I had to change your diaper!" He laughed at his joke, nodding towards Nanako. "This is Nanako, your cousin." He nodded towards her, and Nanako broke out into a wide smile.

"H-hi, Souji-san!" She chirped, her eyes bright. Yes, this is -definitely- off, in more ways than one. Not quite bad, perse, but very off. ...Ah hell, let's roll with it.

"Hello, Nanako-kun. Very nice to meet you." I sat on my haunches, sticking out a hand towards her. She giggled, taking it and shaking it as vigorously as a first grader could. I chuckled, trying my best to resist the urge to muss up her hair. She's being -way- too adorable right now. After a few minutes, Dojima managed to shepherd us into his car, and away we went. I was thinking mostly happy thoughts, until he announced that he was going to go get some gas. My only external reaction was blinking, but on the inside I was going haywire. Wonderful, so all I have to worry about is personally meeting the crazy bitch of a goddess, who will be in a strong position to wipe out the Dojimas if I make one false move. Well, uh, shit. Couldn't really do anything about it, since I spent the whole time monolouging in my head and we're already pulling into the freaking gas station. Good one, Souji.

I got out of the car, Nanako following close behind. The all too familiar gas station attendant walked out, told Nanako where the bathroom was, and told Dojima he'd fill the car. After the Dojimas had gone off to their respective activities, the gas station attendant turned to look at me. "So, you're from the city hu-" He began, grinning slightly and sticking his hand out towards me.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, Izanami being treated with only a stone glare. "Don't play games with me, Izanami. I am not in the mood." Her face was in mid smile as her eyes widened. Heh, looked almost as if I just slapped her in the face. ...Wait a minute, why is she still surprised? Okay, and now her bewildered look is being replaced by unbridled hostility, and she's retracted her hand like a snake just bit at it. ...Right, what the hell?

"...Who... are you?" She muttered, getting into what I recognized as her "ready" pose. She was honestly ready to start a small scale war right here in the goddamned Shopping District. "State your name and master, Child of Man." I really wanted to tell her that I was from the future with a grave warning, but- Wait, no, that could actually work to my advantage if she seriously doesn't know what's going on. Hell yeah, let's make this happen.

"I come from the future, Izanami, with a warning. This game you are playing, this attempted judgement of Man's desires; you will not come out unharmed from it. For when you attempt to excercise your strength, you will find resistance. -I- am that resistance. Cross me, and I will bring you down, show you pain you think unimaginable. Enrage me, and I will wash your very existence from this earth. And if you are thinking right now that I am relying on some sort of "master" to guide me, you are sorely mistaken. _I am Seta Souji, and I have had more than enough of your shit. __**IS. THIS. UNDERSTOOD?**_" I roared, thinking myself quite impressive. Izanami, however, had merely a bemused grin on her face. She chuckled for a few moments, before she began outright _guffawing_. She braced herself with one arm against the Dojima's car, clutching at her side with the other.

"You... you entertain me, Child of Man. You have seen the truth even before the mystery has begun... I look forward to your exploits. I will be watching you... Seta Souji." She gave up one last snort before she simply disappeared into fog, the Dojima's car suddenly filled up just as was promised. I heard an odd cracking sound, one that I hadn't heard in quite the long while.

**I ART THOU, AND THOU ART I**

**THOU HAST AWOKEN THE POWER TO DISPEL LIES**

**THE WORLD ARCANA**

** Wait... WHAT?**


	2. Chapter 2

One More! Chapter 2

A/N: I didn't really think that I would get this many reviews so quickly. Generally, i'll get maybe three reviews every couple of weeks, and on this one i've gotten 2 in like 3 days. Pretty thrilled with that. Without further ado, here comes chapter 2.

The car puttered it's way through the streets of Inaba as I rubbed my temple. From what I saw, I already -had- all the Arcana, and all of the Personae contained with in. I ran through the list in my mind one more time, trying to find any of the World, but came up completely short. I swore slightly under my breath, and Dojima glared sharply at me before nodding his head towards Nanako. For her part, she was completely oblivious, bobbing about in her seat as she looked out the window. I winced slightly, mouthing an apology to Dojima and -really- hoping he would start looking at the road again. After triumphing over a goddess, (well, kind of anyway) I could do without getting killed in a run of the mill car accident.

We turned the corner onto the Dojima's street as rain began to patter against the window. I frowned slightly. Something seemed off, somehow. I shrugged, shouldering my dufflebag in preparation for leaving the car. The rain got a bit stronger now, and I couldn't help but sigh once more. After the events that took place last (wait, no, THIS) year, I always had a bit of an issue with rain. For one, it meant I had to stay up until midnight constantly, and for another it meant that there was an ever more likely possibility that someone was going to get murdered horribly. Most of the time, we made it with barely a day or two left before the fog came in, and those nights were hardly better for us than the one who was captured.

We all got out of the car, Nanako immediately bounding into the house. Dojima waved me away when I asked if he needed anything, so I went in myself and dumped the bag to the side as I kicked my shoes off. The place was more or less as it was before, maybe a bit more cheerful in the decorations. A few pictures that Nanako drew were pasted on various walls throughout, and since none of them were particularly disturbing or worrying, I smiled and sat down at the table. Nanako was nearly bursting with questions. "Where did you live? Did you live anywhere before that? Do you have any siblings? What was your house like? Did you have any pets? What are your parents like?" ...She went on and on, and I answered the questions diligently. She was so different from the first time I met her. Then again, I was already moaning to myself about how i'd have to rebuild all the friendships again, so this is pretty nice.

Dojima opened the door, shaking off the rain that accumulated on his jacket. He muttered to himself as he hung his jacket on the coathanger, immediately going into the fridge. "So then Souji, what would you like for dinner? I could probably whip up some ramen or something quick if you'd like." I could feel my head tilt unconsciously, and he turned his head towards me. "What, surprised that I can cook? Well, i'm no master, but i've started to learn recently." I nodded, smiling. He seemed to take that as a "yes" for ramen, and got to work immediately. ...Well hey, stranger things have happened. Maybe Izanami decided to change things around, made sure I stayed on top of my game. I didn't like her toying with my family though. Then again, can I even fight her right now? The Izanami here seemed totally baffled, although i'm sure that goddesses can have quite a bit of acting experience. Then again, I had never _once_ been lied to by the Social Links. Igor and his little system seemed to beyond the level of gods, so far as I knew.

I shook my head, chasing the thought out of my mind as Dojima placed a bowl in front of me. I stared at it confusedly. Dojima said ramen, not instant noodles right? Dojima flashed a smile at me as he sat down to my left, his own bowl in hand. ...Right, smile and nod, smile and nod. At least he's making an effort. I took a look at the side, looked like I had a couple of minutes before anything happened. The Junes commercial came on, and drew Nanako's attention solely to the TV. I frowned, remembering that this happened last time, but there was something...

Nanako stopped mid-song, looking at me. "I-is something wrong? I... I hope I didn't annoy you..." I blanched, shaking my head and waving my hands. Oh god, now I look like a gigantic tool.

"N-No, Nanako-chan! I-I was just thinking, that's all. Uh, heheh." Nanako blinked, not quite sure if I was telling the truth or not. After a couple of seconds she decided to let the matter drop, much to my relief. Dojima raised an eyebrow at me, and I chuckled nervously. "S-so! Uh, this seems like a nice town!" Ugh. I usually don't get caught off guard, but when I do... Wow.

The night passed as Nanako and Dojima tried getting to know me, and I pretended I didn't know them. I managed to keep it from getting _horribly_ awkward, but it still wasn't incredibly pleasant. I liked the two, but starting the friendship again from the beginning... It seemed to be pretty difficult. I had to dodge around their issues, all the old jokes we had were completely gone, and it just felt... Artificial, I suppose. It was just _wrong_ in a way, like if I wanted to, I could manipulate them in so many ways, force them to become who I _wanted_ them to be instead of who they _were_. It was unsettling, and I really wanted to get to sleep so I could think about it better. After Nanako went to bed, Dojima let me go to my room, saying to try and get my stuff unpacked tonight. I smiled, nodded, and went up the steps without another word. Didn't mean to be rude, but I really had too much on my mind to be making small talk.

I looked around at my room, sighing as I remembered how much of a pain it had been to get everything settled. Therefore, I took a look around the room, nodded, and promptly grabbed the futon out of a nearby box, laid it on the ground, and fell asleep amidst the hated cardboard containers. Fuck you, boxes. With that thought, I fell into an almost blissful slumber.

=One More!=

The world... was gray. Only a single red-bricked path existed, leading forward. I began to walk, the movement of my legs somehow being blurred to my semi-conscious mind. The path stretched on and on, unfeeling, uncaring. The mystical nature of the place blurred my perceptions even more, until my vision seemed clouded with fog. Something about it tripped my mind, making it work better, and everything began to get clearer for a time. The red reappeared, and I continued down the path. A voice echoed in my head, serene in it's tone. "So, you continue to seek the truth. Come forward." I did as it said, striding forward woodenly, following only the path. Soon enough, a strange door came into my vision. It was red and black, and seemed to twist in my vision. I reached a hand out to it, and it swiftly opened, revealing a strange arena. "Move into the center, seeker of truth." The voice echoed once more. I couldn't place precisely where it was. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. Within my ears, from the ceiling, from my very soul.

I plodded into the center of the arena, looking around and trying to get my bearings. It was a half-sphere, but one that extended so far into the sky that it was almost inconceivable. A strange figure appeared in front of me, only it's outline present in the sea of gray. I got the feeling it was grinning at me for some reason, mocking me. It got into a fighting posture, two kunai appearing in it's hand. I pulled my sword from it's sheath, Izanagi coming at my call. The figure charged me, and I barely dodged as it cut a straight line across my chin. I brought my blade down at him, hitting nothing but mist. He disappeared, the impression of a grin forming once again as he appeared around twenty feet in front of me.

"ZIODYNE!" I shouted as Izanagi called forth the wrath of lightning. The figure dodged smoothly to the right, pulling out a strange fan. It let out a screeching cry as fire began to rain down upon me. I dodged the gobs of fire, duck, jump, lean, roll, STRIKE! My sword made contact with the fog as it howled in agony. Suddenly it was behind me, driving a swift kick into the small of my back. I was propelled into the far corner, smashing into the wall. I groaned, barely struggling to my feet in time to block a hugely powerful strike from a hammer, one that wrenched the blade from my grip. I tucked into a roll, dodging to the left as another hammer blow ripped apart some of the wall. I panted, summoning Izanagi once more. "SUKUKAJA!" I yelled, as time seemed to slow to a crawl. I smirked, flowing around the undefinable figure. The sword was useless, bent at the hilt, so I moved in with my fists. Uppercut, left jab, punch to the gut. The figure was unable to react swiftly enough to get a decent strike with his hammer, so I finished up with a kick to the groin.

He went to his knees, gasping for breath. I grinned, knowing his defeat was at hand.

He looked up at me, grinning wildly. I frowned, why was he looking at me like tha-

I dodged quickly enough that I was only clipped in the shoulder by the Garudyne sent my way. Of course, "only clipped" meant that I was still tossed through the air with enough force to break bone. I slammed into the ground, red tile crunching as I looked around the arena.

There were hundreds, no, thousands there. All around me, above me, to my sides, behind me, everywhere. And all of them... all of them wearing that same, ridiculous grin. I tried to sit up, but my spine was already split from the fall. The pain seemed distant however, as if it didn't truly exist. I could do nothing but look around wildly as they came, all of them taking their turn grabbing me, twisting me... breaking me. Flesh ripped, muscles tore, and the beasts feasted as they had never before. I tried screaming, but my mouth wouldn't move. I tried fighting, but my arms were already mere ragged stumps. The last thing I saw was one of them, blood dripping down it's chin, looking into my eyes as though it had found a brand new succulent snack. _**THE WORLD WENT BLACK, AND ALL I FELT WAS THE AGONY OF THEM RIPPING, TEARING, DEVOURING, AND I COULD NOT EVEN SCREAM-**_

__I threw open the futon, a scream coming from deep inside myself as I launched myself into the wall in an attempt to dodge the unseen predators all around me. I slid down, turning around to see only my room, boxes cluttering the area. I swallowed, cold sweat running down my face as I looked at my hand. Still there. I'm not eaten, i'm alive. I'm... not dead. "Souji, are you alright?" A gruff voice shouted, banging on the door. I tried to say I was fine, but no words would come. Dojima threw open the door, eyes wide and ready to fight. He saw nothing but me sitting against the ground, panting as I tried to collect my thoughts. "S-Souji... Did something happen?" He asked.

I licked my lips, glancing at him. "N-nothing, Dojima-san. Just a bad dream." I said, shakily getting to my feet. "I'm going to go wash my face." I said as I pushed past him, eager to get into the bathroom and figure out what the hell brought that on. I closed the door behind me as I entered the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. I looked like a bat out of hell, hair all matted with sweat, bloodshot eyes, an even more pale complexion than normal... I shook my head, starting up the bath. Hell if i'm going to let some nightmare take the good out of my first day back. That was one _hellish_ one though, one on a level i'd never had before... I decided to just deal with it, and get ready for school.

=One More!=

I walked down the stairs as Dojima grabbed his jacket. "Ah, Souji. Uh, are you sure you're okay?" He asked one last time, scratching his head nervously. I nodded, feeling a lot more refreshed. A bath can do wonders for a wannabe tortured soul. He seemed skeptical, but nodded. He looked at Nanako meaningfully, and then opened the door. "Well, i'll be off. See you two after work." Nanako and I waved, and I sat down heavily at the table. I rubbed at my eyes, finally noticing that there was a plate under me. Eggs and toast. _Hell yes._ I grinned, devouring the food. After a few seconds, I realized that Nanako was still there and looked up mid-chew. She was staring at me as if I had just admitted to being a serial killer or something.

"Uhn, sorfy Nanafo-cha." I mumbled, swallowing what I had in my mouth. "Uh, it just looked really good, and I was... hungry..." Nanako blinked, before snickering a bit. I began laughing too, and in a few moments the ice had been officially broken. Midway through our little laughing fit, I took a look at the clock and blanched when I saw the clock. "N-Nanako-chan, we have to go!" I said, shoveling the rest of the eggs into my mouth and reaching for my school case. I sighed when I realized that not only did I forget to unpack it, but the dufflebag was still stuffed to the side of the entryway. Nanako was already through the door, platypus backpack firmly on her shoulders.

"Come on Seta-san, we don't have time!" She yelled, a frown on her face. I chuckled, nodding. I stuck a hand in my pocket as we got on our way. We chatted idly most of the way, and parted when we got to the School Zone. As I started walking to Yasogami High, I remembered something. A smirk settled on my face as I checked behind me for some jackass on a bike. Sure enough, there was Yosuke, and sure enough, he was headed straight for the pole. I turned to look forward again, applying my half-decent knowledge of math to give me a decent countdown. "Three... two... one..." I muttered under my breath, and a couple seconds after that Yosuke smashed straight into the pole, clutching his gonads for dear life. "Hmm... I really need to work on my math." I muttered idly as I passed him by, apparently giving him nothing more than an idle glance. Hey, I have my rights. After all, the dude kinda deserved it for all the gay jokes he made.

I whistled a bit of a tune as I strolled up the hill to the school proper, taking in the front of the school for the (first?) time. Thankfully, I remembered the first day pretty well, so I knew exactly what I was going to do when I walked in there.

If Takanichi thought I was a complete asshole, Morooka was going to have an aneurysm.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed! Always a pleasant surprise to see a new review in my inbox. :P By the way, the EVE Online soundtrack is perfect for writing in my opinion. Nice bit of ambience. Anyway...

I strode into the school, a grin plastered on my face. I marched up the steps, walked right up to the door of the classroom, and listened in. If I was going to make this entrance count, it was going to have to be at the perfect time. Morooka's sharp voice was easily heard even through the wall. "And if you think for a _SECOND_ that i'm going to allow you students to be all frivolous and full of sexual desire, you've got another thing coming! If I hear that any of you have been... _corrupted_ by this new prick coming in from the city, I will personally beat-"

I threw open the door, marching into the room. Morooka spared me only a glance before diving right back into his lecture like nothing happened. "As I was saying, I will personally beat that corruption out of you? Do I make myself clear?" I frowned, clearing my throat. Bastard ruined my entry, and now he was going to pay. He blinked, and then turned back to me. "And what the hell do _you_ want?" He looked me over once, snorting. "Oh right, you're the new brat from the city. Great to have you here, you perverted scum. Take a goddamned seat." He said, a scowl forming on his face. Wait a minute, isn't he just a _bit_ over the top compared to last time? Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to let this lunatic talk down to me like that.

"Really, i'm scum then, Morooka-sensei? How intriguing, because I could have sworn I saw you and your dentures grabbing a pin-up of Rise down in the shopping district. My my, seems odd that such an old, decrepit lecher like you would ever be able to become a teacher." I grinned, leaning against the wall. Heh, what a jackass. Morooka was shocked, staring at me as though I just called his mother a whore and then kicked him in the nuts. ...Yeah, stowing that idea for later.

The classroom was deathly silent, all the students looking between my calm, impassive face and his quickly purpling enraged face. He gritted his teeth, something that only made his dentist look even more incompetent, and growled something under his breath. I raised an eyebrow and waited for a few moments as his head whipped right back up and his eyes met mine. "_Get to the office. Immediately. There we will have a... conversation about respect."_ He said, his tone almost serene in his rage. ...Well, on the bright side, at least i'm not on his shit list. On the downside, I think I pushed him into a realm of anger such as that of which the world has never seen. Well, I was sure it couldn't be that bad.

I sat in the faculty office, leaning back in the spinny chair. The spinny chair that most would say I shouldn't be sitting in, as it was the principal's. However, most simply do not understand the simple appeal of a leather spinny chair that is also a freaking _rocking chair._ It was all the best chair-related things in one, and therefore it had to be mine. I rifled through the desk in front of me and found a pack of gum, which I went into heartily.

You see, there are stages of realizing that you've just fucked up. For the first stage, you're mostly just like "fuck you bro" and you don't really care. In the second stage, you start thinking that you're invincible, and that you are simply not someone to be fucked with. As I began to chew the gum and the door opened, I slammed headfirst into the third stage; realizing that you are probably the biggest idiot that the world's ever seen, and that you are seriously boned. I immediately got up from the chair as Morooka and the principal walked in. The principal was a cool guy. It was seriously almost impossible to dislike him. He had a freaking _TANK_ collection for christ's sake! I stood to the side of the desk, sweating slightly as I moved to help the principal to his seat. Morooka glared at me disdainfully, taking one of the two seats on the other side of the desk.

I chuckled nervously, settling into my seat and scooting away from Morooka slightly. If I somehow did win the argument, I wanted to lower the risk of getting strangled by the dentist's nightmare. I steepled my hands, putting my elbows onto the desk. "Well then mister principal, what seems to be the issue?" I asked, charm positively oozing out of my voice. The Principal sighed, rubbing his forehead as he collected his thoughts.

"You heard what I said, Nanami-san! This little... This _student_ disrupted the class, insulted me, and caused absolute anarchy all within the first few minutes of entering the classroom! He is obviously a troublemaker of the first class, and does not deserve a place here in Yasogami High! You can see how his little big time city boy shtick is already ruining the cohesiveness of the student body! I _**DEMAND**_ that he be expelled immediately, sir!" Morooka continued into his tirade as my eyes glazed over. Like this jackass could possibly get me thrown out by screaming at the top of his lungs. Heh, what a jackass.

"Very well, Morooka-san. I see your point, and I must say that I agree with it. For now Seta-kun," He turned to look at me, frowning. "I am afraid that we will have to suspend you indefinitely from Yasogami High, until such time as we can reach a decision as to what to do with you." The Principal rose from his seat as my mouth hanged open with horrified awe. "Morooka-san, shall we look over the tape and confirm this?" Morooka grinned in a decisively _dickish_ fashion, getting up to his feet quickly.

"But of course, sir. This happened just recently, so it should be no trouble at all. I will send that gym teacher to cover my class, I keep extensive notes anyway." He turned to look at me, a smirk of victory making his features look even uglier than before. "Seta-_kun_," He said, his voice dripping with poison, "I hope that you rethink your temperament, and that you might someday return to our school ready to learn. Until then..." He nodded his head towards me and left the room quickly, the principal moving in close behind. After they left, I sunk into my seat, absently chewing on the stick of gum still in my mouth. After a few moments, I knew what I had to do. I had to leave the school calmly, return to the Dojima residence, find a way to suck up to Dojima so I could stay there, and make sure my parents didn't find out.

Instead, I picked up the chair, threw it through the window, and stormed out of the office. Motherfuckers are going to get stomped. One of the secretaries almost tried getting in my way, but a quick glare sent her scrambling behind her desk. Good. Fuck this place. I threw open the door, the window breaking as it couldn't take the force. Good, seems that my strength is just as extraordinary as before. Going to need it to punch Izanami in the jaw. Or someone. Someone was going to fucking pay. A couple of scattered students still rushing to get to class gave me odd glances, stepping to the side as they caught a glimpse of my face. Heh, I must look like a delinquent or something right now. Then again, I guessed I was. I stormed down the stairs, threw my shoes on, and stomped out the door.

I walked around Inaba for a while, struggling to regain control of my temper. Every time I thought I was close to overcoming it, Morooka's grin flashed in my head once more, and my pace increased once again. After a couple of hours, I found myself in the shopping district. I walked past Daidara's, and suddenly a flash appeared in my eyes, blinding me momentarily. I swore, rubbing my eyes as the door to the Velvet Room appeared before my eyes. I scowled, throwing open the door and entering the embodiment of my soul.

=One More!=

It was, well, a complete mess. The previously blue room was now red, all the orderly drinks and such scattered about the floor, and broken windows allowing a torrent of rain to enter the now ruined limousine. Margaret was gripping the back of her sofa for dear life, and Igor was in his normal position. His eyes, however, were filled with... anger? ...Fuck. As soon as I thought of that, the limo swerved, and the remaining drinks toppled as well. The place was a hellhole, with me at it's center. Igor snapped his fingers, and everything came to a halt.

"You..." Igor began, steepling his fingers together. "You have entered _very_ dangerous territory, Seta-kun." He said ominously, his eyes narrowing. "So early on into your newest journey, and you have lost track of your goal in the maelstrom of rage and immaturity." He snapped his fingers once more, and Margaret came to attention, taking a deep breath. She looked quite out of sorts, and smoothed her skirt. I turned my attention back to Igor, my mouth turning down with disgust. Really, immaturity? As if that asshole didn't have it coming to him. What the hell does this jackass know anyway? He's just some old faggot taking a ride in my soul, it's not as if he's ever given me any real help. Just sits there smirking like a dickhead, giving me enigmatic advice once in a blue moon.

Igor's eyes flashed again, and his scowl deepened. "Seta-kun, you do not want to make me an enemy. I am trying to be of assistance, as our contract stipulates. Take a deep breath, and do not allow your emotions to rule you. As I said before, you are a well in which infinite possibilities can be drawn; this does not mean that all of those possibilities are good. It is just as possible for you to become an immature brat as it is to become the guardian of truth." I was about to retaliate with some words of my own when I caught myself, and took a deep breath. He was right, really; what the hell was I even thinking, trying to pull that kind of shit? Was there even a _point?_ I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I slumped back into my seat. Igor's grimace vanished, and his grin reappeared once more. "Well done, Seta-kun. Next time, however, please be more mindful of your actions. You came dangerously close to subconciously negating the contract, which would have been disastrous for you." He admonished as I took a deep breath.

"I-i'm sorry, Igor. I don't know what I was..." I began, sighing once again. Man, I can be a complete retard sometimes. Igor waved my apology away.

"Think nothing of it, Seta-kun. I am simply glad that I could be of assistance in solving your matter. Now then, I believe you have some planning to do regarding your next move. May I inquire as to what you have decided to do?" He asked, a knowing smile on his face. Of course he knew that I had no clue, so that wasn't what he was getting at. I rubbed my chin, looking up at the ceiling of the limousine.

School... Well, I had more or less closed that door. The way the principal said indefinitely, he made it clear that the likelihood of me actually being allowed back was more or less... well, completely impossible. I looked back on all of the events that led me through the last year; in every single one, school was at least a _factor_. Either I was allowed the job only because I was a good student, or I was with a friend I knew from school, or-

I had a revelation. How the hell was I going to stop the murders? I met Chie, Yukiko, and Yosuke at school, when they thought I was just some new kid from the city. I doubt they would have been so pleased to meet me if they'd heard I was some ridiculously arrogant and anger-prone delinquent. My thoughts blinked through my mind at a rapid pace. Would never meet Chie and Yukiko on the way to the murders, Chie wouldn't meet with Yosuke to talk about the Midnight Channel, Yosuke wouldn't make the connection between the Channel and Saki's death, and would chalk it up to some serial killer going insane. Yukiko would be kidnapped, and Chie would prowl the streets in a fury, possibly running into those wannabe extortion artists from before. She doesn't even know how to fight at this point, so they would likely subdue her and...

I slammed a fist through the cushion as I began to understand the full extent of how badly I fucked up. Igor spoke up, cutting off my train of thought. "Seta-kun, do not lose yourself in the what-ifs, and do not think the worst of every situation. You are currently still in a tenuous position regarding your mental state. Please don't cause this room to be one filled with turmoil _again._" He said, a worried glint in his eye. My chest felt tight, like I couldn't breathe. Despite what Igor said, my mind kept going through what would happen, and it just got harder and harder to think.

"Igor, I... I think I have to go think about this. Alone." I said, getting up from my seat. Igor nodded, and with a wave of his hand, I was back in the shopping district. About an hour had passed, and it was around time for school to get out. With a sigh, I shrugged my briefcase over my shoulder and began the fifteen minute walk home.

As I got to the door, I kicked my shoes off and imediately walked over to the phone. I followed the line to the socket and pulled it out, stuffing the cord behind the coffee pot. That would give me a bit more time to think, since they wouldn't be able to call home immediately. However, if they had Dojima's cell number... I shrugged to myself as I grabbed a melon soda and headed up the stairs to my room. At this point, it was a lot more important to think than to act.

I moved a couple of boxes out of the way, slumping onto my couch and staring up at the ceiling. Down to business. I leaned over to one of the boxes and pulled out a notebook and a pen. I leaned back, making a few notes.

-Friends

- Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko: Not likely to be friendly; yet, at least.

- Kanji: Perhaps, so long as I show the same attitude as him when it comes to biker gangs. Maybe circumvent Shadow?

- Rise: ...I can only hope.

- Naoto: Not necessary for a month or two.

- Teddie: Must make sure to meet him at same time as last time; otherwise, I might become a victim myself.

Well, that wasn't incredibly useful. I sighed, tossing the notebook back into the box and absentmindedly flipping the pen. Well, my one saving grace for now is that Dojima doesn't come home tonight, thanks to the murd- ...Oh dear. I dropped the pen, getting to my feet. I couldn't believe i'd forgotten; that enka singer, the first murder had already been committed. I swore, throwing a box over. As I continued to throw whatever came to hand, the door opened. I froze in mid-tirade, carefully placing my latest "enemy" on the ground. I scratched my head, slumping right back onto the couch. Nanako's home; wonderful. Wonder how i'm going to explain how I got here first... I sighed. Maybe I just wouldn't go down, but then... The thought of Nanako sitting there, waiting expectantly for my return just to be dissapointed... I winced, my hand already reaching out to open the door out of my room.

I walked down the stairs as loudly as I could so that Nanako wouldn't be surprised. After I heard her scream and saw her try to hide in the corner behind the couch, I realized that that idea was about on par with the other ones i'd been having all day. I chuckled weakly, giving Nanako a dim-witted wave. After a couple of moments she saw it was me, and got up. "O-oh... Sorry, I didn't think you'd be home..." Ah, right, she isn't at all used to me living here yet. Then again, maybe she never will be... Putting the thought out of my mind, I walked over to the fridge. I dug around in it, seeing what ingredients there were. "Uh... W-what're you doing?" Nanako asked timidly, finally reaching her usual seat.

"Making dinner. Least I can do. Anyway, what would you like Nanako?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder. She seemed lost in thought for a moment before answering.

"Umm... Anything's fine..." She answered meekly. After I gave her a raised eyebrow for a moment, she seemed to get the idea. "Uh, I mean, I guess... I kinda want an omelette!" She said, perking up noticably. She still seemed a bit surprised, but I figured that would wear off quickly. I nodded and flashed her a smile, grabbing the egg carton and getting to work. It only took a few minutes to make, so I decided to add a bit of cheese to it. Gotta love cheese. I took a look at the clock and realized that 15:00 was just a _bit_ early for dinner. I decided to just make Nanako swear to secrecy, so that Dojima wouldn't get pissed at me about altering his daughter's eating habits or something. I just hoped that my making dinner would at least make him a bit less pissed off when he found out about my antics.

After Nanako and I ate our omelettes, I decided to go back to my room immediately after a hasty farewell. Hate to be a dick to her, but I seriously have thinking to do. I opened the door and bee-lined to my couch, already in deep thought.

Therefore, when someone poked me in my side, I was well within my rights to scream in terror.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Right, since didn't let me update before my deadline of 12 AM this morning, I cracked open a Dr. Pepper, turned on some Megadeth, and I am going to write this goddamn chapter for you all. It might be a bit more intense than usual, what with the listening to heavy metal instead of peaceful ambient music.

Sitting right next to me, smirking as if she'd just pulled some incredible joke, was Izanami. "Good evening, Child of Man. It seems that you have had an... interesting day, so far. Mind if I inquire what you were thinking?" She asked, helping herself to my half-finished melon soda. Bitch. I sighed dramatically, kicking my feet up on the small table.

"Well, I was more or less wondering exactly what I could do to liven things up again. Kicking your ass was far too easy last time, you see." I grinned, reaching for the melon soda. Izanami realized my plan, smacking the back of my head into my lap."Ghkk..." I groaned. "You seriously aren't going to try and start a war in my _room_, are you?" She looked at me oddly, an eyebrow raising.

"I was simply playing, Child of Man. Is this not how you have fun in this world? My research had led me to believe that was the case." She said smoothly, taking another sip of what was now _her_ melon soda. I blinked, mind racing. Wait, so first of all she was trying to, ah, "play", and she came to the conclusion that hitting me was play due to "research"... Oh for fuck's sake, don't tell me that the Goddess of Death was stupid enough to take manga as reality. I stared blankly at her, and she frowned at me. "What? Was I incorrect?" She asked, her head tilting. Good lord, you have to be kidding me.

"Right, never thought I would have to explain this to a being that is _supposed_ to be omniscient, or at least mildly intelligent, but entertainment is not the same as real life." I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. For some reason, having Izanami in my room wasn't all that bothersome. Probably because if she decided to blow up my room, it would make for a hell of a distraction from the whole getting expelled thing. Izanami blinked, her eyes sending me a distinctly condescending glare.

"You are insolent. Do you honestly think I have watched anime or read manga to come to this conclusion? Don't be ridiculous. I have studied human beings for millenia, and this is the conclusion that I have come to." She sneered, a self-righteous grin on her face. I smiled meekly, waving a hand in apology.

"Right, sorry. It's been a bit of a rough da- Wait a goddamned minute, why am I being nice to you? Good lord, _you're_ the whole reason i'm in this mess!" I shouted, pointing at Izanami who simply stared bemusedly at me. We glared at eachother for a few seconds before I gave a heavy sigh and slumped back in the couch. "Well, since you stole my soda, I have to go get another one. Wait here a minute." For some reason, I just can't get all that mad at her. I mean, there was none of that killing intent she had back then, and she actually seems legitimately curious. I opened the door and started to march down the stairs.

"Um... Are you okay up there Seta-san?" Nanako's voice came up the stairs as I started down. Crap, she probably heard me screaming up there. Right, excuses, excuses. Then again, I could probably just tell her the truth. No, faffing about like that hasn't exactly won me any favors today.

"What do you mean? Oh, sorry if I was a bit loud up there. I was playing a game. Want me to turn the volume down?" I asked, smiling cheerfully and tousling Nanako's hair as I moved towards the fridge. She shook her head with a small smile, and went back to her seat. Huh. Well, at least it's going better than the last time. Man, that was some awkward stuff. I opened the fridge, fishing out two melon sodas and walking back up the sta-

The door opened, and Dojima stormed into the house. "Seta! You and I are talking _right now_. Nanako, go to your room." She seemed to want to argue about it, but a withering glare from Dojima sent her packing immediately. As for my part, my mouth was half open with one foot on the stairs. ...Heh, it's kinda funny really. Never thought I would end up standing up a goddess. Oh well, she'll understand probably. I hope. After Nanako left, Dojima's glare was leveled firmly on me. "Sit down at the table. Now." I consider myself a badass, but I don't think even Kanji could take that glare and stay standing.

I took my seat, Dojima taking the opposite one. Time ticked by, measured by the clock on the wall as we stared at eachother. I waited for him to start the conversation, he waited for me to admit what i'd done.

=One More!=

I looked nervously at the clock, and then back at Dojima. I barely suppressed a shudder, managing to smile weakly. "U-uh, want this melon soda, Dojima-san?" I asked, hoping to lighten the mood. His scowl only deepened, and he rubbed his forehead. I set the now warm soda back on the table, cracking my knuckles.

"Please Seta, don't bullshit me right now. What in the _hell_ were you thinking? Your parents never said anything about you being a... A trouble child! The first day of school, and you get yourself suspended? Hell, it wasn't even the first day, it was the first five minutes! Look, i've seen Morooka around town, and he _is_ an asshole, but that doesn't mean you can just mouth off to him! Not to mention your accusing him of being a pedophile, _that_ sure as hell went over well!" He tore into me with reckless abandon, not letting up for even a moment. I shrank back into my seat, doing my best to maintain eye contact.

"And you know what the best part is? Morooka's pressing charges. Oh yeah, defamation of character. I can't _wait_ to cover the costs for that. Even if he doesn't win, it's still-" He looked at me for a moment before heaving a large sigh. "Look, Seta. Did anything happen? I've heard enough about you to know that this just isn't how you act. Maybe someone put you up to it or something?" He asked, concern touching his face.

"I..." I began before my throat caught. ...How could I tell Dojima that it was completely my fault? I mean, all this is happening, I didn't think he'd actually pursue this in a legal setting... I sat there for a couple minutes, lost for words. Finally, I pulled myself together. "Dojima-san. I apologize, but it was completely and utterly my fault. It was a stupid thing to do, and that is putting it far too lightly. You do not need to worry about the court costs; I will cover those personally. I worked quite a bit back home, and have built up a small amount of savings." I said, bowing my head slightly.

"Seta..." He sighed irritably, rubbing his forehead. "Great... Yamano dissapears, and now this..." My ears perked up.

"Uh, what was that Dojima-san?" I asked, leaning forward. Could it be...?

"Oh, you know that announcer? She disappeared earlier today, nobody's been able to find her anywhere. We've started a search all around Inaba, but nothing's turned up." He scowled again, and stared at me once more. "In any case Seta, go to you r room. I'll think of what to do with you later. I... I don't know if I can keep you here at this point." He got up from his seat, gesturing towards the stairs. "Get a move on. And leave that soda here." I obliged, bowing solemnly towards Dojima and then making my way up the stairs. Beyond my subservient exterior however, I was already thinking. Yamano had _disappeared_, and she had not been found murdered. Something was distinctly different here. I opened the door to my room quietly, and saw Izanami still sitting on the couch. She really _didn't_ have anything better to do, it seemed.

"Good, you're still here then." I muttered, closing the door behind me. Izanami grinned at me, eyebrow raised.

"It seems that you had quite the interesting discussion down there, Child of Man." I nodded curtly, moving in front of Izanami.

"Listen, I need a favor from you. Please, don't be condescending or rude, or pull that "What if I don't grant you rrequest, Child of Man" bullshit or whatever. I can repay you at any time, but I need this. Help me enter the TV world." I said, standing firmly in front of her. Her smirk disappeared, and she seemed to be considering it. After a few moments, she smiled.

"Very well, Child of Man. However, know this; owing a favor to a goddess such as I is a fool's chance. Come, take my hand." She reached out towards me, but I shook my head.

"Not yet. I am going to stipulate the precise terms of this deal. First; you will bring me to the area in which I always entered the TV world. Second; you will need to give me an avenue to leave the TV, preferably into this very room, although anywhere in Inaba is acceptable. Are these terms acceptable for you?" I asked. After a few moments her smile widened even more.

"Hmhmhmhm... A wise distinction, Child of Man. Very well, I will abide by your requests. After all, you are far more interesting than the other two so far." As she nodded, I took her hand in mine, and the room began to fade away. Inky blackness took over my vision as I lost all sense of feeling. I wandered in the pitch darkness for a while, as sanity teetered on the edge of my mind. It felt as though if I didn't have full concentration, I could easily lose all sense of self, and my life would pass as though it was nothing more than a dream. With this knowledge in hand, I focused ever harder, and a light began to open up, piercing through the black. I stumbled towards the light, remembering how to crawl, how to walk, how to run. The light got brighter and brighter, and finally the world came to be once more.

I collapsed onto the ground of the TV lobby, groaning. I got to my feet shakily, getting my bearings. It certainly was the same area that we entered every time, no nasty surprises there. I sighed in relief before I started to walk. It was a fairly long walk to Yamano's resting place; the opening to Magatsu Inaba. I shook my head, focusing. I ran through my mind, finding my various Personae. Satan, Trumpeter, Izanagi, Scatchath, Hua Po... And that was it. I switched to Satan; best for large groups, and if I was right, that would be exactly what I would be facing. He also had Null Physical, along with Null Wind. Nothing could scratch me physically, wind attacks would only blow my clothing around dramatically, and ice attacks would even heal me. I nodded, picking up the pase. Invigorate was useful for such things; you could run for a good hour without even getting tired so long as you had it's assistance.

Soon enough, the distinctive doorway appeared. Red and black rectangles intertwining and forming something akin to a portal. I instinctively checked my blade, swearing when I couldn't find it. If only I had been able to grab the Kage-Daichi... I put the thought out of my mind, striding determinedly through the doorway.

I had no clue what I was going to face.

=One More!=

Yamano was standing on the chair in the center of the room, intermittently kicking uselessly at the writhing mass of Shadows surrounding her. "MARAGIDYNE!" I shouted, leaping into the fray immediately. A dozen Shadows burst uselessly into flames. I grinned, the thrill of battle awakening something inside me as I ripped through the pathetic Shadows. They were even weaker than those in Yukiko's Castle, and those were absolute cake in every way. They were numerous, but I fused Satan specifically to deal with such numbers. A few of the Shadows stood back and cast Agi as their bigger brethren tried to strike me with their blades. I dodged most of the fireballs, and those that hit me were hardly anything painful. The sword wielding Shadows were baffled when their swords broke on my flesh, and I laughed. Soon enough, only a few were left, and those were easily dispatched.

After I annihilated the last Shadow with a quickly cast Bufudyne, I turned towards Yamano. "Hello, miss. Hope I didn't interrupt anything." I said, a grin on my face. Her look of terror did not abate however, and I realized that she was looking over my shoulder. My smile faded as I turned back towards the door, bracing myself for combat once more.

I readied Satan, casting yet another Maragidyne. I panted with the effort of calling him out; I had used most of my strength on the Shadows before, believing that it would be the only battle. I shook my head, leaping into battle once more. I punched a nearby Shadow, expecting it to shatter on contact; instead, it followed up with a lightning fast counter. I hit it with a Bufudyne and hopped back onto the bed. I took a look at the Shadows, calling Satan to bear once more. It was then that I realized what I was facing. The Shadows were predominantly white, an almost angelic sort of white.

Almost a God's white.

The monsters of Yomotsu Hirasaka flooded the room as I leapt in front of Yamano. "Hold tight, i'm going to get us out of here!" I shouted as Satan came out one last time. I gathered the last vestiges of my energy, letting out one last shout. _**"MEGIDOLAON!"**_ I cried, as energy that would make even an Almighty being take warning collected above the seething hordes of Shadows. They all looked up at the purple light in confusion, wondering what the pathetic human had brought to bear against their greatness.

=One More!=

And then it all crashed down on them. Wood snapped as the floor was annihilated by the unheardof amounts of power unleashed upon it. The screams of dozens of Shadows filled the air as I grabbed Yamano's hand. "Miss Yamano, _**WE ARE LEAVING!**_" I jumped down through the newly created exit, landing in a room almost exactly like the one I had just destroyed. Yamano landed right behind me, and I charged through the door. The Shadows were still stunned slightly, but some were already pouring down the hole as I slammed the door behind us. I nodded at Yamano, and we began to sprint with all we had. The hallway opened up into a large lobby, from which I could see the staircase I had taken to get to Yamano's room. I led the way through the world of the TV, the Shadows having great difficulty keeping up with our fervent speed.

We paused for nothing, Yamano proving to be a decent runner despite her announcer status. We eventually reached the familiar entrance, a tower of three televisions dominating the center. "Climb into one of the TVs!" I shouted at Yamano, who looked baffled. "No questions, just fucking do it! I'll hold them off!" She ran past me, and I planted myself firmly into the ground. I chuckled to myself, taking a quick glance at Yamano before returning my gaze to the Shadows. It would be a while before she made it there. "Heh. Only a fool would take these guys on." I clenched and unclenched my fist, glaring at the oncoming horde. _**"WELL THEN, LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT KIND OF FOOL I AM!" **_I shouted, summoning Trumpeter.

__"Maziodyne!" I shouted, slamming the front line of the Shadows with the force of a lightning storm. They didn't falter in the least, and seemed to grin with my futile effort. I screamed, casting spell after spell. Hua Po. _**"MARAGION!"**_ Satan. _**"MABUFUDYNE!"**_ Scatchach. _**"MAGARUDYNE!"**_ I huffed with the effort, the spells causing only a negligible amount of damage to the oncoming death the Shadows represented. I faltered for only a moment, and they were upon me. They grabbed at me, and I barely dodged their deadly grasp.I ran with all I had, flames burning behind me. I was nearly at the TVs, Yamano having escaped long ago. I cursed my inattentiveness, deciding to pay more attention next time, when an inferno slammed into my back.

_**"RAGNAROK!"**_ A voice screamed, and an inferno engulfed me once again. The flames spread throughout my body, searing flesh. I cried out with the agony, falling to a knee. The televisions were right there... Right... there... I managed to get to my feet just in time to stumble to the side of an incoming fireball, grabbing the television with one hand and unceremoniously falling through it. I tumbled through the darkness, a mocking voice following me. "Heheheheh... What a wonderful world it is, without those needing to help... We did all right, didn't we?" I closed my eyes, and gave in to the peacefulness that seemed to surround me. The voice could wait. It could all... wait.

=One More!=

Ryotaro Dojima was having a bad day. The nephew he had believed to be cast out of sterling silver turned out to be a delinquent of the highest order, a woman that was placed under personal escort by the police had gone missing, and he was in desperate need of a drink. He scowled, muttering to himself as he crawled into his futon and turned on the television in his room. He needed some mindless entertainment to finish out the day, or he was going to go quite mad. He settled in to watch some stupid informercials, getting into quite the relaxed position. Everything was going to be okay.

And suddenly the announcer that had so unfortunately gone missing came hurtling through his television. Mayumi Yamano crashed into the small coffee table in front of the TV, shattering it in two. Splinters cut into her back as Dojima swore loudly, throwing himself out of his futon and checking on the unexpected intruder. "W-what in the hell?" Dojima shouted as he tried to get Yamano to calm down. She was a wreck, blubbering madly as Dojima tried to get through to her. A couple of minutes later, she had calmed down enough to at least be coherent as he stared at the TV in horror.

"H-he's still in there..." She whimpered, pointing at the TV. Dojima looked at the TV and then back at Yamano. He had no clue what the hell was going on, and was starting to convince himself that he was having an absolutely surreal dream. After all, it only made sense, what with his anxiety about the missing reporter and all.

That was when Souji fell out of the TV as well, landing on Yamano. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as he rolled around in agony. His clothes were half burnt, and hideous red splotches adorned his body. Dojima balked for a moment as Yamano began screaming. After a couple of moments, he scrambled to his jacket, pulling out the cellphone. "Yes, this is Ryotaro Dojima, I need an ambulance here, NOW! We have a heavily burned victim here, and he won't last long! HURRY!" He shouted, closing the flip phone. He dashed over to Yamano, pulling her to her feet. "Miss, you have to stay calm. He could die if we move him, we have to wait for the ambulance to arrive. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes." Yamano nodded, tears still rolling down her face. Dojima looked down at Seta, reality finally hitting him. However, he could do nothing but remain calm; that was the only thing that could possibly save him.

A/N: Right, well, that was an interesting two hours. Good god. I don't really know if I did all I could have with that fight scene; if you have any suggestions for how I should do it next time, _please_ tell me. I've always been pretty horrible at those, and it's something I really want to get better with. Talky bits are all well and good, but I can't make a story just out of that. (Unless I want to be really, really boring that is.)

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Nothing much to say this time, other than is starting to piss me off when it comes to updating.

I woke up in a whitewashed hospital room, a droning beep the only other presence in the room. I blinked. The act of blinking caused a surprising amount of pain, and I scowled. That too caused pain. I began to wonder about things, but my thoughts were muddled. I could not determine what it was I was actually thinking of, and the act of trying to find out simply hurt even more. My eyes closed.

I woke up in the hospital room again. A couple stood over me, both seemed strangely familiar. The man was crying, and his mouth was making movements as though he was talking. I shrugged internally, returning to my slumber. It was safe; secure. I didn't have to worry there, in the world beneath my eyelids. I could run, jump, sprint just as though everything was fine.

I woke up a few more times, none of them any more notable than the last. A doctor was in the room once or twice, and the pain seemed to be getting less intense, but it wasn't enough to make me want to get up. I closed my eyes, and darkness came.

I stood on a rocky beach, gray skies stretching as far as I could see. I shoved a hand in my pocket, looking over at the perfectly still waters. Nothing moved, save for a stray seagull that called mournfully as though it was lost, looking for it's kin. I grinned wryly, beckoning the gull towards me. It began to descend, finally perching on my shoulder. After I looked at it, I started to walk. The beach was strewn with rocks every few feet, and after a while I made a game of hopping from one to the other. The seagull flew away after a time; apparently I bored it somehow. I chuckled, continuing my game.

Eons passed as I hopped along the gray rocks, and nothing of note happened. I took a look at the ocean once more. It was just as flat as before, all that time ago. I grinned, lifting a hand palm first towards it. Ripples began to appear in the water as movement finally began to occur in the dead world. I lifted a finger, and the ripples became massive pillars of water, propelled only by my will. I took a step out onto the water, and it supported me with no trouble. I laughed, reveling in my newfound power. I weaved in between the massive geysers, and the sea became my canvas. I clenched my fist, and mountains soared into the sky. I sweeped the newly created ground, and plains came to be. I calmed the waters once more, the geysers returning to stillness. After I succeeded in that, I bade pillars to rise out of the ground, made of the most stunning marble.

I gave myself a chisel and hammer, and got to work. I strode to the largest pillar, the one from which all things came. I used the chisel, carving out a figure in the stone, one that had special meaning to me. A cape took shape, and then a multi-faceted mask. Two triangular eyeholes took shape, a pair of decorative wings atop them. Finally, I finished carving the weapon. It was complete; Izanagi, the core of my very being. A blue card began twirling before my eyes, and I smiled. I reached out, plucking it from the dead air. Begin.

I crushed the card, and from it came glorious life! Lines erupted from Izanagi's statue, connecting all of the pillars together in harmony. The stone pillars began to crack, forming the shape of what was to be born from it. Finally, when all the pillars were ready, I rose into the air. The heavens shook as I made my presence known. I looked down upon my creation, the mountains and valleys, the pillars, lakes, rivers, even the dead sea; It was all a part of my being. None of it was useless, none of it was extraneous. I allowed the emotions to flow through me; peace, rage, sorrow, joy, fear, bravery, pride, depression. I focused my power, and the lines connecting the pillars began to shine with energy.

Finally, it was time. I smiled, my head tilting towards the sky. After taking one last moment, I completed the final rite. The eulogy for the sea of my soul, which had seen me through so many hardships. I opened my eyes, and found Izanami floating directly in front of me. "Well done, Child of Man. Now, emerge from the vast ocean of possibilities, and rise to your true Persona." I nodded, casting her out of my realm. Her presence was not allowed for what was to come; this was for me, and me alone. The light reached critical mass, and only a few moments remained.

"Thank you... All of you." I said, a new card floating in front of my eyes once more. Instead of the now traditional blue, it was golden. Blue tendrils adorned the corners of the card, and the picture on the card was both familiar and yet strange. I reached out towards the card, running my thumb over it. I smiled one last time, annihilating the card. The light exploded, and all of the cracked pillars shattered to reveal the essence of my Personae. Pixie, Satan, Slime, Matador, White Rider, Cybele, Lilith, Trumpeter... They were all there, and their power was feeding directly into Izanagi's statue.

I laughed in relief, spreading my arms out wide. _**"THROUGH THE POWER OF THE SEA OF MY SOUL, I CALL YOU FORTH! IZANAGI-NO-OOKAMI!" **_I shouted, and Izanagi's statue shone with a blinding light. The world was obliterated with the impossible power, and only I remained, floating in an endless white void. I closed my eyes, reveling in my last act of rebellion. I had done what most would consider impossible, what the gods had never even thought of. Finally, I had chosen my path. And none would be able to turn me from it. A figure floated in front of me; Izanagi-no-Ookami had been reborn, along with my Self. I reached a hand out towards him, the greatest of all gods.

And he took it.

=One More!=

Taro Namatame was walking on air. He had thought his beloved Mayumi to be lost forever, but that strange boy had somehow found her, and brought her back against all odds. He had heard Mayumi's account of the tale; her true account, at any rate. Her official statement to the police was quite different, saying that she'd been knocked out in an alley when the boy had chanced upon her. It didn't account for the boy's massive flame injuries, but the police planned to question him personally on that one. They had seen how distraught Mayumi had been, and had no intention of pressuring her any more than necessary.

Her true account however, was far more extraordinary. She told of a world inside the television, where she had been trapped for days. She nearly broke down in tears as she recollected the horrific events. Apparently there had been some sort of "other her" that had ruthlessly pointed out her faults, her weaknesses, all the things that she believed made her less than a person. Namatame had more than once been forced to comfort her when she got into one of her moods; she had a lot more baggage than anyone deserved to carry. It seemed that however horrible as her previous episodes had been, this one was even worse. It was one thing to think it yourself, but it was quite another to have someone actually point it all out. Thankfully, the boy had managed to intervene just after the other Mayumi finished one of her "sessions".

According to her, the boy had appeared in a burst of flame, summoning some sort of twisted beast from the depths of nightmares. He ripped through the demonic beings, calling down power that no human should have been able to control. He had gotten her out of the twisted hellscape, and ordered her to retreat through a stack of televisions. Namatame was dubious about this; it seemed like some sort of twisted fever dream. However, the boy's wounds were very, very real. They visited him earlier, after the doctors had given them a call; the boy apparently had a couple more days to live at the very most. Namatame was indebted to him, but didn't see how he could be of any assistance. He was simply glad that his Mayumi was safe; so long as she was fine, the world was something he could suffer through.

=One More!=

Yori Nakamura was a fairly unassuming doctor. He had been living in Inaba for quite some time, and was fairly experienced in his practice, but found himself absolutely baffled by his most recent patient. Seta Souji, age 17 was easily the most anomalous person who had ever set foot in the hospital. Honestly, he had no right to even be living right now. Nakamura had initially not even bothered to contact the burn center in Tokyo, since the kid had a couple of hours at the very most. It was now the second day, and Seta was somehow just _refusing_ to die. There had been a couple of times where his heart rate had almost ceased, but he always came around immediately before his was making the interns ridiculously nervous, since they had to keep an eye on him almost constantly lest he suddenly go into one of his episodes.

Nakamura rubbed his temple, wondering what he did to get himself saddled with such a patient. His continuing to live was only making it harder on himself and his family; a quick death would have allowed the family to put away all hope for his recovery, and focus on coping with him gone. As it was, Nakamura had had to continually express the fact that he could die at any time. Nakamura slid open the door, tucking Seta's chart into his armpit as he took a look at the kid. He could hardly keep from dropping everything as he saw Seta sitting up in his bed, a cocky grin on his face. "Doctor, I believe that I could use an apple juice. Get on that, would you?"

=One More!=

I had always relished any opportunity to give someone a scare, and this was one that was so perfect that it had to be a blessing from God. The doctor walked into the room, a professionally cold aura about him. Probably assumed that I had no chance to survive; too bad he didn't know that I was damn good at making my time count. After Izanagi-no-Ookami awoke inside of me, I opened my eyes. To my surprise, I was perfectly fine. None of the pain was there any longer, and all marks of the fiery blast were erased. I thought to myself for a few moments as I sat up in my bed, wondering how this could have happened. Suddenly, I recalled the lecture I had received at Iwatodai last time; Izanagi was a god. I was quite literally a recipient of Deus Ex Machina. My laughter didn't stop for a good five minutes as I started to grasp the implications. I managed to compose myself before the doctor came in. My throat was coarse, and I was surprisingly thirsty.

"Doctor, I believe I could use an apple juice. Get on that, would you?" I asked, lying back onto the bed. Hey, I just recovered from a likely lethal burn. I can afford to be a _bit_ of an asshole. The doctor blinked, nodded, and got out of the room as quickly as possible. I yawned, looking up at the ceiling. At least I got that distraction I had been hoping for; pity that it almost burned me alive.

"Oh, _shit_." I muttered, sitting back up again. Yamano! She was safe, right? What if she was still in there... All of it would be for nothing! I got up out of the bed, knocking over all sorts of medical equipment as I did so. I winced, realizing that the nest egg I had built up over the last year was going to get seriously dented. I ripped all of the various things connected to my body, striding over to the door. I grabbed one of the patient gowns, throwing it on and opening the door. I found myself face to face with a female doctor, holding an apple juice and a sandwich. She seemed new, bit young too.

"U-um, are you... Seta-san?" She asked, completely baffled. I nodded curtly, grabbing the apple juice.

"That's my name, yeah. Hey, can you tell me who the doctor overseeing me is?" I asked, pointedly not grabbing the sandwich. Who needs them anyway? I'd take pasta any day. I took a sip of my juice, looking at the doctor. She seemed exasperated, not knowing quite what to say.

"Ah, that would be Nakamura-san. W-would you like me to send for him, Seta-san?" She asked, thrusting the sandwich into my free hand. ...Well, food is food. I took it, setting it on the table next to me. I nodded, and she scurried off immediately. Huh, didn't mean to be that enigmatic. Oh well, blame the brush with death as per usual. I grabbed the sandwich again, along with a nearby food tray and sat back on the bed. I tore into the sandwich immediately, not quite expecting how hungry I was. About halfway through my ravaging of the unfortunate bread and meat, Doctor Nakamura entered the room. Finally, answer time.

"Hello there, Nakamura-san! I believe it is you I have to thank for my miraculous recovery." I said, not an ounce of sarcasm in my voice. Regardless of whether or not he caused the Deus ex Machina, he was the one that kept me alive long enough to accomplish it. He coughed slightly, nodding.

"Well Seta-san, it was a team effort all around. It's not as if I was the only one here; several of the interns managed to spot when you reached critical condition, and intervened just in time. So then, I believe you had something to ask me about?" He said modestly, surprising me. He initially seemed the type to be a bit cocky, nice to see that not all doctors were pompous assholes.

"Yes, Nakamura-san. ...Do you know the condition of Yamano-san?" I asked, sneaking a quick bite of the sandwich between words and slurping down a bit of the juice. Beautiful, delicious juice. Nakamura nodded, a smile gracing his features.

"She's fine, Seta-san. It seems that your efforts did not go amiss; she is with her..." He paused for a moment, probably looking for the politically correct term, "...friend, Namatame-san. She has sustained no great injury, but she did seem to be somewhat... odd, compared to what I saw on TV." He finished, taking notes on his chart as he spoke. I sighed in relief, and returned my attention full force to my meal. As I polished off the sandwich, he spoke up once more. "So, might I ask how you're feeling?"

"Quite wonderful, really. I was able to walk around a bit earlier, stretch my legs out a bit. I don't really feel any pain, and I can't really see any major injuries on my body anywhere." I said, slumping back into my bed. Nakamura nodded vigorously, a happy grin now plastered all over his face. The professional air he had cultivated before gave way to simple relief as he finished writing on his chart.

"That's incredible, Seta-san. But how...?" He stopped himself, chuckling. "Well, I suppose it's best not to question such good fortune. I will notify your family, they'll be relieved beyond measure. The little girl, Nanako, she seemed particularly distraught when she heard of your condition. She and Dojima-san have been visiting almost constantly in the past couple of days." He broke off, looking into space wistfully. "...Wish I could have a family like that. You should treasure them, Seta-san." He finished, bowing quickly before he left the room. I smiled to myself, patting my stomach contentedly. It would be nice to see them again, and maybe saving Yamano would give me a bit more leeway with Dojima. At the prospect of not being forced to leave the Dojima house, my smile broadened even more.

As I closed my eyes, I felt an overbearing presence fill the room. My eyes snapped open once more as I looked upon the embodiment of my latest Persona, complete with a cocky grin on his face. He was dressed in flowing long robes, his signature naginata square upon his back, and his long black hair flowing almost to his shoulders. He leaned on the wall, pulling out a jug of booze. "Want some, Souji?" He asked, pouring himself a glass. I balked, scrambling back to the bedpost as my mind turned in circles, wondering in vain what the hell was going on. "Fine, suit yourself then." He said, downing the shot all at once.

Izanagi wiped his lips and the glass disappeared. "So, I hope you don't mind my taking the initiative in healing your burn wounds. You're a bit useless when you can't even stand, you know." His insufferable grin showed no signs of quitting, so I took a deep breath. If he planned on killing me, he wouldn't have allowed me to have his persona in the first place.

"Heh, almost didn't recognize you there Izanagi. Where's your cool cape? Always wanted to get myself one of those." My grin matched his, and the stifling atmosphere finally lightened. "I assume that you'll do the same thing as Izanami, freezing time and whatnot. Otherwise, you're the one that's going to have to explain yourself to Dojima." We both raised an eyebrow at eachother at the exact same time, and started for a lack of a better term, laughing our asses off. I grabbed the side of the bed, smacking the floor. For some odd reason, it was bar none the funniest thing i'd ever said. When I started to think of the god that created damn near everything being questioned by the police, it just made me laugh even harder. After a few minutes, I had finally collected myself. Izanagi had stopped laughing long ago, and stared at me bemusedly. "Ah... hah... Sorry, wasn't quite prepared for..." I stifled another laughing fit as I thought of Izanagi introducing himself to Nanako. Man, the sheer awkwardness that would result...

"...Riiiiiiight. In any case Souji, congratulations on your Resolution. We've been wondering how long it would take for your lazy ass to get to work on it. Now I owe Susano-o a favor." He sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I mean honestly, it took direct intervention and time travel by my wife just to get you to understand." He took a draught straight out of the bottle of booze. "Hell, the other guy managed it in like eight months. You're really going to have to step up your game, Souji." I chuckled weakly, eyebrow raised. ...Who the hell was this "other guy"? Sounds like a bit of a prat, showing me up like that. I sighed, nodding sarcastically.

"Tell you what, next time I have to take on the power of a god, i'll try and speed up the process." I smirked, getting comfortable in my bed. There was a strange wooshing sound, and Izanagi's face was suddenly mere inches from mine.

_**"DO NOT DARE TO PRESUME THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN MY POWER, CHILD OF MAN! I HAVE GIVEN YOU A MERE SHARD OF MY STRENGTH; DO NOT THINK YOURSELF AN EQUAL OF MINE."**_ He shouted, his mere voice shaking the walls of the room. His face was contorted with fury, and an inferno burned in his black eyes. I gulped, nodding hurriedly. He backed off, returning to his earlier position as though nothing happened. "So long as there is an understanding, then I don't have an issue. Just keep that in mind, Souji." He said, smirking at my now submissive posture. I scowled slightly, realizing i'd been made a fool of.

"Point taken, Izanagi. I meant no disrespect, it was just a joke." I said in an apologetic tone. He nodded slightly, setting down his jug on a table and grabbing a chair. He placed it at the foot of my bed, sitting on it and kicking his feet up on the mattress. Just as I was about to voice a complaint, I held it in. I had already pissed enough gods off recently, might as well be nice to a couple of them. "So then, not to be a dick, but what're you doing here? You never showed up before, so I assume that something's changed." He grinned, taking yet another swig from his jug. ...Can gods even get drunk? I mean, is he doing it just because it makes him look cool? ...Smarmy bastard.

"See Souji, this is why I like you. You don't bullshit around. I'll be straight up with you; things have gotten... complicated, regarding your state." I leaned in closer, intrigued. "You see, Izanami didn't exactly get permission to do her little time twister thing from the other gods. They had other plans for you, and her actions have thrown a bit of a wrench into them." Great, so it seems that I was going to get involved with more gods anyway. At least I would've had my goddamned sword. "However, this is good for you for quite a few reasons. One, you were to participate in causing the end of the world." You fucking what. "Second, you were going to be weak enough that any of the gods would find it child's play to off you when the time was right." ...YOU FUCKING WHAT? "Third, Susano-o was probably going to torture you quite a bit before you died, he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder."

I sat there, mouth half opened as he casually related all this to me. After a few moments I licked my lips, and did the most rational thing that came to mind.

"So then, i'm basically the harbinger of death, the gods are planning to kill me, and one of them wants to torture me in a way that only a god could. Am I right so far?" Izanagi nodded, a twinkle in his eye. "Well then. _**FUCK THAT SHIT.**_" I shouted, ripping the blanket off of the bed. Izanagi let out a throaty chuckle, slapping his knee.

"Well now Souji, this is precisely what we wanted to hear!" Izanagi said, a wide smile on his face. He waved over his shoulder, and Izanami appeared from a new rip in the air. I blinked, the lecture running through my mind once again. ...None of this added up at all.

Izanami took a seat next to her husband. "Very good, Child of Man. I am impressed that you have managed to impress my husband so much... He usually isn't quite so kind to those that form a Persona in his image." She said, a serene smile on her face. Izanagi elbowed her lightly in the ribs, grinning.

"Come now Izanami, no need to be so formal with Souji here. After all, we're all allies here." He said, nodding enthusiastically at me. ...Wait, so I just allied with the goddess of death and the god of creation? ...WHAT THE HELL? My shocked look apparently got attention from Izanagi, who raised an eyebrow. "...Uh, what is it? You're not still feverish or something are you?" A flash of concern drew across his face. "R-really, are you okay there? You're getting rather pale..."

"...Right. I am going to need a very clear explanation of what the hell is going on here before I can accept anything, _especially_ an alliance. Who wants to go first?" I asked, rubbing my temple. Good lord, what did I get myself into?

Izanami cleared her throat, using this chance to get a word in edgewise over Izanagi. "I am afraid, Child of Man, that we do not have the answers quite yet. Things are still brewing, and all of the gods are keeping their motives shrouded. Rest assured however that you are in quite the incredible amount of danger. The injuries that you suffered saving the announcer woman... Those are the least you have to fear in times to come. An alliance with us is your only hope for survival." I then realized something that gave me a chill; they weren't discussing making me a thrall or somesuch, they were asking me to be their _ally._

"...I see. I need time to think on this, if it would be no trouble. I have allies of my own that I must consult, to make sure that this offer of yours won't go against my prior contract." I said, thinking about what Igor would say. Probably something like "Well, this _is_ an interesting predicament you've gotten yourself into, Seta-kuuuuuuun...". Yeah, sounds like something he'd say. The duo at the foot of my bed nodded, getting up from their seats.

"Sounds good, Souji. You can call on us at any time with your decision, but I would suggest making it quickly; time waits for noone, not even gods and their schemes." Izanagi said, disappearing with a sarcastic bow. Izanami nodded respectfully towards me, disappearing as well. I laid back in my bed, taking a deep breath. Then I promptly rolled over, buried my head in my pillow, and let out the longest curse of my life. Even muffled, it still carried over to the hallway clearly enough to be understood. A certain first grader tugged on her father's jacket, asking what the word meant while the father grinned wryly.

=One More!=

I was just thinking of how comfortable the hospital bed actually was when the door opened once again, and two people walked inside. I struggled to get to a sitting position once again, blinking tiredly. The day had been way too long already, and nothing was worth waking up again, screw all the go- Halfway through my inner tangent, I saw that it was Nanako and Dojima, and all the thoughts from before were immediately dispelled. I smiled happily, waving at them lightly as I rubbed my eye with my other hand. Some pleasant conversation ought to smooth over the whole allying with gods against other gods in order to save the life of myself and everything i've ever loved. ...Maybe I should stop thinking about that. "Hey you two, what's up?" I asked, grinning.

"Uh... Well, we've been fine. What i'm worried about is you, Souji." Dojima said, a worried look on his face. Seems to have dropped the honorifics I noted idly, shrugging.

"Could be a lot worse, considering the whole being in a hospital for days thing. In fact, I feel better than I have for quite a while. Yamano's okay, right?" I asked. Might as well get confirmation, and it might make me look better in Dojima's eyes if I make it seem like i'm far more concerned about others than myself. I'm a bit of a manipulative jackass, I admit. Then again, it's gotten me this far right? Dojima nodded curtly, and Nanako seemed to be fairly bouncing with questions. "Heh, what's up Nanako-chan?" I asked, grinning even more widely.

She walked up to my bedside, and as I prepared for her to say something like "Oh big bro, I thought you were dead!" or something sentimental like that, she punched me in the arm. "Why did you get yourself hurt, stupid?" She said, her eyes tearing up. I blanched, stuttering my explanation to her.

"I... Uh... There was a person that I... Had to help, and some bad guys hurt me when I tried to stop them." I said, coming up with what I considered to be a decent explanation. She suddenly looked panicked as opposed to angry, and I hastily corrected myself. "Ah, I beat up all the bad guys though, so they can't hurt anyone anymore." I said, rubbing the spot where she punched me. She hits _hard_ for a seven year old. Dojima seemed to perk up at what I said, and he gave me one of his "detective" looks. Yeah, he was definitely going to want an explanation later. Man, what do I say? Durrr, I went into a TV, killed a bunch of crosses and mouthed sphere things, grabbed Yamano, and then came hurtling out... Hold on a second, where exactly _did_ I end up when I left? I winced slightly, resolving to talk to Yamano later.

"Souji, i'm surprised." Dojima suddenly spoke up. I looked at him worriedly. What could he be surprised about? Oh god, what if he knows about the TV thing? What if he's going to take me in to the cops or something? How the hell would I explain that to the police? They would tell the government, and then they'd want to find out exactly how I do it... Oh god, they're going to dissect me! I began to sweat profusely, grinning weakly at Dojima. I gulped, chuckling slightly. ...I'm screwed. Dojima continued, looking worried. "I'm surprised that you've healed up so... extensively. Yesterday you were barely hanging on for dear life, and you looked..." He paused for a moment, swallowing. "Well, I couldn't let Nanako see you, let's put it that way." I scratched my head, chuckling nervously. Bullet dodged.

"Well, uh, you know our family. We've always been quick healers!" I said, trying desperately to change the subject. "A-anyway, has anything happened?"

"Nope. After Yamano got back, everything's been pretty quiet. Adachi's been a bit antsy, but that's probably just post-stress stuff. ...Anyway, you think you actually might be able to leave today? You look pretty fit, and your room's still not unpacked." Dojima said, smiling wryly. Seems like he's still willing to let me live with them, thank god.

"Well, I don't see why not so long as you can sign the papers. I walked around a bit earlier, and i'm getting pretty sick of this room. The bed is comfortable and all, but I miss my futon." I said, grinning. Dojima nodded, and he and Nanako went down to sign all the papers. I figured it would take them an hour or so to get through it, so I leaned back and closed my eyes. I'll be damned if i'm going to let even a little bit of sleep get away from me at this point. Soon enough, I was in a blissful and dreamless sleep.

A/N: GOOD LORD I JUST CAN'T STOP. Chapters are getting longer bit by bit, i'm pretty sure this one is around double the length of my first chapter. It's odd, I used to be hardpressed to spend 15 minutes at a time writing, but now I spend a good three hours every time I start writing. Time just kinda slips away.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Updates are probably going to be more on the weekends than weekdays now, pretty hard to balance school and practice and everything with writing for up to three hours when I get home. Apologies. Also, the update took so long because i've been doing "research" about prior SMT games so I can pull off what i'm planning better. (Playing Nocturne, going through LPs of SMT 1 and 2 along with the first two Personas, checking out Strange Journey, screaming at Devil Survivor constantly for those goddamned escort missions, etc). Again, sorry about that. To be honest, i've just kinda been throwing this together from day one by following SamJaz's golden rule (wing it and try to be epic), and I kinda wrote myself into a corner. Anyway, without further ado, chapter 6.

"Well Seta-kun, this _is___an interesting predicament that you have gotten yourself into." Igor said, a snide little grin on his face. I sighed, resting my head in my palm. Sure enough, as _soon_ as I fell asleep, I found myself in the Velvet Room. I took a look around; no obvious structural issues, things weren't flying all over the place, and everything on my side was still non-alcoholic. Oh well. I grinned, leaning back in my seat.

"Well, you know, I seem to be making a habit of consorting with gods. No big deal, I suppose." I quipped, grabbing the nearby juice. Mmm, fruit punch. Igor seemed to scowl slightly, and Margaret harrumphed.

"Seta-san, please don't make light of the situation. What you have done has firmly thrust you into more or less uncharted territory. We have not had a guest that has done something of this sort in... Well, I was not present for the occurance, but I have been told that there were dire consequences." Margaret finally spoke, staring firmly into my eyes. I almost started to quip again, but the look in her eyes stopped every hope of that. A tense silence began as I tried to really grasp the implications of what i'd managed to do. Eventually, even Igor tired of the silence and spoke up.

"Seta-kun, you must understand... This is something which we cannot interfere with. If you truly wish to meddle in the affairs of gods... It will be difficult for us to remain neutral. If you would accept some advice on this matter, I believe I could be of at least some assistance even if you _do_ decide to remain on this path." Igor said ominously, steepling his fingers together. I nodded hesitantly, leaning in closely. He closed his eyes, and his face became deathly serious.

"Seta-kun, Izanami is nowhere near the most powerful of the gods." He said, like an executioner sharpening his axe. My previously chipper demeanor faded in an instant, leaving me dumbstruck.

"B-but, that can't be! I mean, I mean, it took us... It took us so long, and we risked so much to become that powerful! Besides, she's _the_ goddess!" I shouted, the fruit punch that I was holding now decorating Margaret's couch and skirt. She was not pleased.

"Seta-san, please let the Master finish." Margaret said, making quite the impressive effort to stay calm. Then again, strangling me probably wouldn't have been the best option. I slumped back into my seat, staring blankly at Igor. The simple _idea_ of Izanami being considered weak shook me to my core. Igor nodded once more, breathing in heavily.

"As I said, Izanami is not strong. In fact, she is almost on the weak end. I suppose you recall the boy that Margaret spoke of during your conversations?" I nodded, frowning. "...Well, he managed to fight one of the Old Ones, Nyx, to a standstill. By sheer willpower alone, he managed to seal the true personification of death." He frowned, leaning forward. "She was inestimably more powerful than Izanami._ That,_ Seta-kun, is what you are facing. Not Izanami, not even Izanagi. You are facing forces that could topple nations with ease, that could defeat even I. Do **not** take this lightly, or you will perish like an ant amongst giants." He finished, looking quite exhausted. "Do you understand?"

I nodded grimly, running a hand through my hair. "I... I see. Igor... What can I do? I... I've already made the contract with Izanami and Izanagi, and if I try to say no, Izanami will call in that little favor of hers." I slammed my fist against the table, cracking it with the force. "What the hell have I even done here? I... What the hell?" I couldn't say anything more than that, and the limousine hit a bump.

"Seta-san, all is not lost." Margaret stated, snapping me out of my hissy fit. I panted slightly, and then took a deep breath. After she saw that I was more or less calm, she began. "There is a way... That we can remove your limits. You recall that you felt as though you hit a brick wall in Yomotsu Hirasaka? One that you simply couldn't break through, even with all the might of the world?"

"Y-yeah... It didn't feel like I was getting weaker; rather, it felt like it was simply impossible for me to get any stronger. By that point though, I was capable of defeating Izanami, so..." I muttered, cradling my head in my hands. "It's hopeless, isn't it?"

Margaret took a deep breath, readying herself. "SETA SOUJI, WILL YOU **LISTEN** TO WHAT WE ARE SAYING, OR WILL YOU SUCCUMB TO DEATH BY EMBRACING YOUR FOOLISH DELUSIONS!" She shouted, almost sending me through the walls of the limousine by the sheer force of her anger. Even Igor was startled out of his usual position, now leaning slightly and staring at Margaret with eyes wide. She looked at both of us before coughing and blushing slightly as she continued. "Ah... Seta-san. Please. I know that you can be a... tempermental person, but you _must_ learn to control yourself. It seems that you are either foolishly confident in yourself or believing that you can do nothing. That must stop! Face the truth; nothing more, and _listen._ As I said, we have a way that we can remove this limit, and allow you to become far stronger than before. Are you listening now?"

I swallowed, nodding meekly. I grabbed a paper towel from the center of the now split table, handing it gently to her. She grabbed it curtly, spreading it over her now stained skirt. "Y-yes, Margaret. I... apologize. So, ah..." I gulped again, chuckling nervously. "What was that about removing my limits?"

Igor raised an eyebrow at Margaret, and decided to take the initiative. "Indeed, Seta-kun. However, this... is not a pleasant way to gain power, nor can it be taken without drawing the attention of those gods I spoke of earlier. They do not look kindly upon mortals intruding upon their domain. It has been accomplished once before, but only at the whim of... Well, i'm not at liberty to say. It is a very intrusive procedure, and one that we cannot guarantee the survival of." He leaned closer to me, speaking more softly now. "You must do this if you wish to walk among gods, but I strongly suggest that you live your current life. Even if Izanami does torment you, a mortal life will at least end."

My eyebrows knitted together as I leaned my elbow on the side of the couch. I looked back through my life, all of the things that happened. For some reason though, the only thoughts that held any real substance were those of Inaba. Everyone I knew; Ai Ebihara, Shu Nakajima, Daisuke and Kou... Everyone flashed through my mind, all of those that I had social linked with, all of those I had saved from a life of lies and deceit. ...A life of lies. What is a lie except a violation of trust? A broken promise? ...An ignored vow. I thought of Teddie; if I had decided to go against my promise to find the killer, what would have happened? Dozens could be dead, and nobody would be able to find the culprit... And then, the world would have been covered in fog. I nodded to myself, a grin forming on my face.

"...Well Igor, i'm sorry." I said. "...I can't go back on a promise. What if I had broken our contract back in the beginning, simply because I knew it would be hard? This world would be doomed, and none would have been able to stop it. What if this is the same? Breaking a promise... Hell, for me that's never been a good idea, and I don't see why it is now. I refuse to back down. I refuse to shrink away from my responsibility. I _refuse_ to be simply toyed with by these gods! I will not allow any more trespasses upon the human race! If my options are to shrink away and live in torment or to become strong and face my fate, then I choose to fight! Let them _**TRY**_ to stop me!" I said, getting to my feet.

Around me, the limousine began to shift. The floor spread out, the ceiling grew taller, and an elaborate window was carved into the wall opposite me. The previously forward movement suddenly jerked, now moving steadily upward. Margaret looked around in alarm, immediately getting up and moving to protect Igor. Igor, however, seemed to simply be resigned. He closed his eyes, resting his head on his hands. "...Very well, Seta-kun. If that is your choice." He said. A chandelier dropped from the ceiling, snapping on it's chain. Blue light flowed throughout the room, and an ornate piano began to emerge from the wall to my right.

"This..." I said, throwing my arms to my sides, "...is my resolution. Those that get in my way shall feel my fury, whether human or god." I looked at Igor, smiling sadly at him. "I'm sorry, Igor. I know you didn't want this." Igor only nodded as I sat down on what was now an ornate throne in the limousine that was now an elevator. An elevator rising through the ranks of deities. I smiled to myself at the thought. "...Igor. What is this limit remover?" I asked, resting my head against the plushy back of the throne. Quite nice.

Igor spoke plainly, with none of his previous cheer. "Seta-kun, it is something that hasn't been done for... a long while, and I am unable to do it myself. You must speak with one of those that I spoke of before. You may already know of him, and I hope that will help you understand how foolhardy this is." I raised an eyebrow, frowning. "His name... It is Lucifer."

"...Fuck's sake." I muttered, running a hand through my hair again. "So you're telling me that I have to go talk to the goddamned _Morning Star_, and ask for something that will eventually let me overpower him. Even assuming he does do this for some reason, I am almost _certainly _going to owe him, and owing Lucifer is generally a great way to get yourself fucked over _big._" Igor nodded. "...There's no other way to do this, is there." I knew that asking the question was pointless, but hope was one of my big deals. Igor of course, shook his head. "...Well, fine. Now that we have that out of the way, how the hell do I even talk to him? I, uh... I have absolutely no clue what i'm doing."

Igor chuckled, his previous melancholy now forgotten. "Oh, i'm sure that he will contact you very soon. Even what you've done here is enough to get the attention of those like Lucifer. You see, he is quite discerning when it comes to those that will find their way to power. Unfortunately, he is equally skilled in using those he finds for his ends. You will have to be prepared for what is to come. Now then, I believe you have things to do out in the world. Cherish this time you have; from now on, it will not come easily to you." My vision began to fade as I relaxed further into my chair.

"Until next time then, Igor, Margaret..." I muttered, sinking back into a deep sleep.

=One More!=

Igor and Margaret sat alone in the new Velvet Room after Souji left, silent. After a few moments, Igor spoke up.

"Margaret, how long do you think it will be until he realizes that he didn't actually make the oath to Izanami and Izanagi?"

"...I do not know, Master."

=One More!=

I woke up staring at a familiar ceiling, wrapped up in my good old futon. I yawned, stretching languidl- and I hit the wall. Well shit, there goes my morning. It took me a good five minutes to roll out of the futon thanks to getting massively tangled up during my interesting little visit. After defeating the rogue futon, I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. "...Fucking hell." I muttered under my breath. My luck had decided to stay consistent, and it was 22:23 (10:23 PM) somehow. I sat down on the surprisingly boxless couch; apparently Dojima had taken the liberty to unpack my things while I was in hospital. Rain patted lightly against the window as I grabbed the remote and flipped the television on. Apparently it was already tuned to the historical channel, because a study on the mythology of Izanagi and Izanami was o-

...Oh. Great. Sure enough, I looked to my right, and Izanagi was leaning against the wall with Izanami sitting right next to me. ...I shrugged, turned back to the TV and switched the channel. ...Nothing happened. My eyes narrowed as I started to press the button more firmly, then frantically, then almost literally smashing it. Eventually I paused mid-smash and glared sidelong at the disinterested gods. After a few moments I decided to just toss the remote against the wall. "Right, so what the hell are you two doing here? I mean, can I not get a moment's rest? At the gas station, at my house, in the hospital... Do you lot have _NOTHING_ better to do?"

Izanagi tossed a kernel of popcorn into his mouth as he turned to look at me. "What, can't we watch a little TV? Gets boring being omnipotent, you know." He winked, grinning widely.

"You can watch TV whenever you want, just not in my hou- IS THAT MY GODDAMNED POPCORN?" I shouted, lunging for the godly jackass. He smoothly sidestepped, sending me flying directly into my desk. Things fell, the desk broke, and the lights went out the same time a loud crack resounded through the neighborhood. I staggered to my feet, clutching my head. "Owowowowowow..." I muttered under my breath, falling onto my thankfully laid out futon. I noticed feet thundering up some stairs and down the hallway before the door was thrown open, Dojima running in with... IS THAT A GODDAMNED GUN? My head's agony forgotten, I threw my hands up in the air, trying my best to scramble to the wall.

"Souji! What happened?" He said, scanning the room and looking down the sights of his pistol. After checking that it was clear, he aimed steadily at the TV, popping three rounds into it in succession. I blanched, my ears ringing and my headache managing to return even _more_ painful than before. Dojima panted heavily, lowering his weapon as he glared at the now smoking TV. "Heh... Not this time, you bastards. Not this time." He said to himself, chuckling raggedly.

"D-Dojima-san..." I stuttered, looking up at him. "I... Uh... I just hit my head." I said, as he looked quizzically at me. "On my desk. ...I tripped." I pointed over at my now ruined desk and all the clutter surrounding it. "It's... Uh... So yeah. Not the uh, TV." He blinked, as if not quite believing what I said. "Um..." I said, not quite sure of what to say.

The silence was heavy.

Soon enough, a quieter patter of footsteps came hurtling down the hallway, and a girl peeked through the slightly opened door. Nanako was greeted with the sight of her cousin cowering in fear, her father holding a smoking gun, and a television that was now smoking slightly. "D-Dad, what are you doing? Did he stay up past bedtime?" She shouted, snapping Dojima and I out of our awkward silence.

"A-ah, Nanako, could you... go back to your room please? ...Souji and I need to talk. It's, ah..." He turned to look at me. "...Private. B-besides, you have school tomorrow, right?" He said, obviously grasping for straws. Nanako nodded hesitantly, still looking a little worried. After she made no move to leave, I smiled at her slightly which seemed to make her relent. After we heard her door shut, Dojima turned back to me. "...So, uh, sorry about the TV. After last time, it just kinda..." He scratched the back of his head, smiling wryly.

"I-it's fine, Dojima-san. Besides, you did the right thing; if I had been getting chased back here, that would've been the perfect-" My eyes widened as I shot to my feet. "W-wait a minute, how the hell do you know about the TV?" I got into my combat stance, glaring at Dojima. "Are you with them? Some kind of spy, maybe?" It was Dojima's turn to be baffled as he slid the gun back into it's holster. "W-well, what is it?" I shouted, trying to get some sort of response from him.

"Souji..." He said, raising an eyebrow. "What in the _hell_ are you talking about? What have you gotten yourself into here? I mean, I sit down to watch some TV and think about the Yamano case, and suddenly she catapaults through my screen with you close behind! What the hell was I _supposed_ to think, Souji?" He yelled back, gearing up for a fight himself.

I relaxed slightly, but my eyes were still narrowed. "...So, you aren't with them then. Ah, okay. Phew, that was a _close_ one..." I muttered, laughing in relief. Dojima just stood there with his mouth hanging open as he tried to piece together what he was hearing. I cleared my throat, trying to dispel the renewed awkward silence. "Ah... Here, how about I go ahead and tell you from the beginning? Uh, you might want to sit down, this will be a bit. Might want to, uh, open the window too. TV and all." I gestured towards the couch, and sat in front of it. Dojima nodded, quickly taking a seat. I cleared my throat once more, beginning the story. "Well, you see, last year..."

=One More!=

"...So basically, you solved the murders that apparently happened by jumping into a TV, wielding the power of your inner psyche, catching Adachi, killing the aspect of the goddess Izanami, then decided to one-up yourself by killing Izanami _herself_, decided to piss her off, got sent back in time, talked to her at the gas station, saved Yamano before she could get killed, got burned by a spell rivaling the destruction of the world, flew through my TV, and sat in the hospital for a few days, whereupon you were visited by both Izanagi and Izanami, who asked you to ally with them. And then you said yes. Am I getting this so far?" Dojima finished, leaning back in his seat. I nodded, chuckling weakly.

"Well, yeah. More or less, anyway. So, what do you think?" I said, clasping my hands together.

"...Eugh. Gotta say, it's all a bit hard to swallow. But you jumping out of the TV covered with massive burns... Well, that's pretty much irrefutable. By the way, if anyone asks, you were playing with hydrochloric acid in your room. And then lit yourself on fire. With napalm." He said, popping a bit of popcorn into his mouth. My instinct was to immediately leap for the popcorn and declare it mine, but quickly remembered how that had ended last time. I settled for glaring disdainfully at him before realizing what he just said.

"...Heh, they actually bought that? They _literally_ believed that I had acid in my room, doused myself with it, and then tried to stop the acid with my ready supply of _**napalm?**_" I deadpanned, staring blankly at Dojima.

"Well, when you're in law enforcement here, you get a few free strikes when it comes to your family. And I have officially used all of them up on you, so you better make sure Nanako never gets into trouble." He said, frowning. "Honestly, within the first couple of days living here you've managed to piss off gods, get thrown out of school, and get yourself burnt to a crisp. ...I'm still not exactly sure how i'm going to explain _that_ to your parents. Oh, and now Nanako thinks that i'm trying to kill you or something. So we're going to have to clear that up pretty quickly." He said, grinning. "...Then again, you did save a woman's life, so I guess I can let you off with a warning."

I grinned, leaning up and grabbing some popcorn from the bowl. "Heh, thanks. What I want to know is why the doctors thought I was stupid enough to even _have_ napalm though. I mean, what kind of idiot would have that sitting in his room?" I said, chewing on some stale popcorn. Mmmm, stale popcorn. "Anyway, what are we going to do about the TV? Probably shouldn't leave it overnight; I can toss it out if you want." Dojima shook his head, waving it off.

"Don't worry, i've got it. Anyway, it's getting late. Get some sleep, and i'll see if I can't get you back into school tomorrow. Get ready to _grovel_, Souji. The Principal there doesn't make decisions like this lightly. We'll need to talk about the other things too." I nodded happily, and Dojima tucked what remained of the TV under his arm and went out the door. Alone once again, I turned back to grab the popcorn bowl.

The only thing left was a note.

_Thanks a ton, Souji!_

_ Izanagi_

...Deicide was looking more and more appealing by the minute.

=One More!=

The morning rose a lot like a turtle; slow, dreary, and foggy. In fact, it wasn't much like a turtle at all, but it definitely summed up the feel of it. I plodded down the hallway, walked into the bathroom, showered, went down to breakfast, saw Dojima and Nanako, fell asleep at the breakfast table, got woken up by a frustrated Dojima, saw Izanagi take some pudding from the fridge when they weren't looking, then hopped into the car with Dojima as we headed to the school.

To say that I was not looking forward to the meeting was an understatement. I was thrilled for the opportunity to go back to school, but grovelling to that bastard Morooka was something that used to only happen in my worst nightmares. I sighed heavily as I looked out the window, the heavy fog seeming to even cloud up my mind. Dojima saw my state of mind and chuckled. "C'mon Souji, it won't be _that_ horrible. Sure, Morooka's a bit of an ass, but i'm sure that if you just apologize and agree to whatever community service the Principal cooks up, you'll be let back in pretty easily. You'll be on thin ice for the rest of the year though, so be careful." I nodded dumbly, supremely uninterested in talking. It was going to be a loooong day.

We pulled up to the school and filed through the main door with all the other students. I caught a couple of people whispering behind my back, and all I could do was grin. Being a delinquent wasn't exactly what I expected out of a new try, but it was shaping up to be a pretty interesting experience. I thought about bleaching my hair when I realized that gray wasn't exactly a common hair color to begin with. Soon enough, we were in the Principal's office along with Morooka and the office's owner.

"I still don't see why we have to give our time to this little punk; i've got kids to teach here, sir." Morooka said as I walked in. He immediately zeroed in on me. "Oh, so I see you decided to show up. Not going to let the cop fight all your battles for you?" He said, a sneer on his face. As I reflected on how many ways I would like to smash his skull into the pavement, I put on my nicest smile.

"Good morning, Morooka-san. I must apologize for my previous behavior. You see, in the city how I always greeted my teachers, and it was accepted; I see that it is different out here, and I am terribly sorry for offending you in any way. I meant only the greatest of respect for you, sir." I said in a sickeningly sweet tone. Lay on the ego, and anyone will break soon enough.

"Ah... Uh... I see. So, I guess they _are_ just a bunch of assholes in the city, then." Morooka seemed to look me over for a while, finally frowning. "...Fine, damn it. So long as he isn't a _nuisance,_" He glared directly into my eyes, "I suppose I can allow him to be in my class. One little issue though, and it's back to suspension for you, got it?" He shouted, his eyes narrowing. "Now, get to class!" I nodded, shuffling out the door. Mission complete; dignity obliterated. I got to class immediately, with Morooka right behind me.

As the door opened, the chatter settled down. Morooka walked to his podium-like thing. "Okay brats, shut the hell up! Looks like the city boy decided to show some respect to his betters, so he'll be returning to class today. City boy, you're sitting next to Satonaka. She's the girl in the bright green jacket that i'll be talking about to the principal later this week." Chie winced and muttered something under her breath. I stifled a chuckle, which got me another dirty look from Morooka. "Well, what the hell're you doing? Hurry up!" He shouted, and I hastily sat down.

"Ugh, he's the worst, huh?" Chie whispered to me. "You really showed him before, though! I never even knew that he bought those Risette pinups!" I snorted, and we ended up laughing enough to get yet another glare from Morooka. ...Worth it.

=One More!=

The day dragged on as I re-learned everything I already knew. It was wonderful to basically be able to just skate through classes that I found difficult the first time, and I looked pretty damn smart too. I answered every question Morooka gave me with ease, earning his ire and the respect of the students. Soon enough, it was lunchtime. It was at this point that I realized that not only did I not pack a lunch for the day, I had no close friends that would hand some of theirs over. My stomach rumbled, and I let my head fall onto my desk. Better to rest and save energy than run about freaking out about not being able to eat. ...Hmmm, sleep comes so easy when you're hungry... Ugh... Who the hell is doing that? A repetitive jabbing motion, almost like a poke... Wait, is that food I smell?

I jerked up from my sleep suddenly, causing Chie to nearly fall over backwards. "Ah! W-what're you doing?" She shouted, grabbing the desk behind her to maintain her balance. I blinked heavily, trying to make the connection. "U-uh, are you awake then?" She said, scratching the back of her head. "I... I was just, uh, wondering if..." She seemed at a loss for words for a few moments, and then suddenly thrust her lunch out at me. "D-do you want to eat lunch with me? I-I noticed that you didn't bring one, so..." Wow, she's really blushing madly. Didn't know I made such an... impression. ...Well, too bad I can't accept. Rise would be... Well, that hellstorm is something I could do without.

Oh, hell. That's right... What about Rise? Does she even... I shook away the thought, turning back to the present. "Ah, no, that's fine. Thanks for the offer, though." I said smoothly, but i'm sure I came off as a little cold. ...Oh well. Appetite was completely ruined anyway.

"Oh, I see. Okay then, see you in the next class!" She said, shuffling away quickly. Sure enough, she was heading straight towards Yukiko and... Wait, is that Yosuke with them? Holy hell. Wait, no, this is brooding time. I never get quite enough brooding time. Besides, saying I didn't want lunch with her and then immediately heading over to her and her friends... Well, i'd either look like an asshole or like an idiot, neither of which i'd really enjoy. I shrugged, returning to my sleeping posture. Sleep was _just_ the thing to chase the blues away...

=One More!=

I opened my eyes only to see red. A _lot_ of red. In fact, it was pretty much all red, except for the flames licking the edges of the red, which were just orange and yellow. So, that really wasn't much different. I stretched, getting to my feet.A conference table was laid out in front of me, and a well dressed man was sitting at the other end. I felt... compelled to take the seat opposite him, so I did. "Hmhmhm... Welcome, Souji. And how are you this fine, fine day?" He asked, his lips curling up in a smile. Something seemed off about him, but I couldn't really put my finger on it. I shrugged noncommitally, grinning slightly. "Hm. I see, so you can detect something odd. Well done, you're already doing better than most of the mortals I bring here." He waved his hand lazily, lighting a couple of candles at either end of the table. Quite useless, really, considering the massive inferno raging around us. "You may call me Lucifer, Souji. I've been watching you; your defeat of Izanami was quite impressive, even if you did have quite a bit of help."

I blinked, finally becoming fully lucid. "Ah, I see. So, that's what's going on then. Nice to meet you, Lucifer. Heh, or should I address you as "Your Satanic Highness"?" I asked, grinning. Lucifer suddenly shot across the table, taking my throat into a death grip.

"Do _not_ compare me with that pathetic little lapdog, Souji. It won't be tolerated, under any circumstances. Am I clear?" He said, calm as a frozen sea. It was chilling on a whole new level that i'd never felt before, one that surpassed even Izanagi's threat. I nodded, trying to get a breath. He snorted, leaning back in his chair as he looked at me disdainfully. "Well then, now that that has been made perfectly clear... I have something I would like to give you, Souji." He said, looking over my shoulder. I glanced to my left slightly, and my vision was filled with a musclebound man. As soon as I spotted him, he gripped my arm. Another on my right grabbed that arm as well, and they threw me onto the conference table. Shackles began to wrap around my wrists and ankles as I struggled against their grip. Lucifer loomed over me, an evil grin plastered on his face. "I'm going to give you a gift; the greatest gift, in fact. I'm going to make you more than human, something much more useful to me. I trust you have no complaints? I hear you wanted this, after all..." His grin widened and he held something over my face. It was some sort of wriggly... thing, I couldn't really understand it.

"Welcome to the world of demons, Seta Souji." Lucifer said as he dropped it, straight into my mouth. It was... wriggling at first, and then I felt it. I felt the pain.

It was truly sublime, really. The edges of my vision seemed to crack as the pain pulsed through my body. Every singular pore was burning, every blood vessel bursting. My mind felt like it was bursting from my skull, my eyes felt like they were boiling. My ears rang in agony as the eardrum thudded as if a warhammer was banging against it. I screamed in senseless agony, which only drew laughter from all around me. My bones started breaking one by one, starting with the fingers. They broke off in every direction as new bone was formed, stronger bone. My elbows were ripped apart and my arms jutted out at unnatural angles, and then it got to my chest.

Every. Little. Bone. Shattered into tiny pieces, and new bone grew in it's place. The shards of bone were pressed through the rest of my body until they ripped through my skin. They tore through everything; veins, organs, whatever was in their way. Lucifer didn't care, of course; the new organs would replace them, so I was in no danger of dying. However, dying a thousand deaths was easily preferable to the pain I was going through. My pelvis shattered, and you can guess what happened there. It was horrible beyond belief, and it felt as though an eternity had passed when the pain finally ended.

My vision was hazy, and only the center of my vision was even slightly clear. Lucifer's head filled what little vision I had, and his insufferable grin was still firmly on his face. "Hahahaha! Haven't been driven mad by the pain, have you? Good, good... I'll send you back now. Try to recuperate, hmm? Oh, and I believe that you owe me a favor somewhere down the line, for the great gift i've bestowed upon you. Have fun..." His voice faded out as I finally lost consciousness.

=One More!=

I woke up to an empty classroom, much to my pleasure. I got up and stretched, yawning greatly. I was surprised that nobody decided to wake me up, but everyone was probably just too eager to get out. I shrugged, walking to the door when I saw something strange.

...Why exactly were all the desks thrown apart like a localized hurricane just happened? I froze, looking back through my memory to see if any gods got involved, but got zilch. I brought my hand up to yawn again when I saw yet another thing that was quite odd. My arms seemed to have tattoos on them. For that matter, my shirt was gone, and my pants had been replaced by shorts. ...You know, i'm probably just dreaming. Yeah, I read about something called Lucid Dreaming, apparently you become conscious in your dream and you can just fuck things up. I decided to test it by throwing a punch at the nearest wall. Sure enough, it exploded into gravel and dust, leaving a good-sized hole into the hallway. I laughed, poking my head through the hole. Yep, hallway completely clear. I hopped through the hole, strolling down the hallway.

I decided to head down the stairs, and blew up the railing while I was at it. Hell, all it took was a thought and things just exploded. Dreams are _awesome._ I walked right through the front door of the school, and saw more or less the most bizarre thing i'd ever seen before.

A blue-haired kid with headphones was standing alongside some guy with a white hat and a blue coat. Behind them were a few men in some sort of masked camoflauge. Oh, and then there were the Personae that were floating about all over the place, that seemed to be controlled by the men. I frowned, tapping my chin. Looking at the ones controlled by the kids, they were loads more powerful than the ones controlled by the army types. They were all holding COMPs in their hands; I had one of those a couple of years back, but found it kinda boring. At least I had confirmation that it was a dream. I started to laugh, pointing at the men.

"Atsuro." The blue-haired boy said to the kid next to him. "Engage and detain. Move." "Atsuro" snapped off a salute, and started charging towards me along with the masked camo guys. I shrugged, hopping lightly on my feet.

Okay, hopping lightly should not be launching me five feet in the air. "W-what?" Atsuro said. "Alright, we got a live one, open fire!" The Personae started launching themselves towards me, and I was able to destroy most of them with only a thought. The ones controlled by Blue-Hair and Atsuro though... They were actually pretty damned tough. Blue-Hair had a... Holy hell, is that a Metatron? And a Kerberos, too... Heh, not bad. Atsuro had an Asuna and an Amaterasu, which was weird. Hold on a second, how do they both have two Personae? ...You know, this fight doesn't feel like a dream...

Eventually, I decided to give peace a chance. "OI! OI! How about we have a little- GHK!" Metatron took that moment to punch me in the gut, like the cunt he is. However, he and the rest of the Personae drew back. The men in the camo pressed some buttons on their COMPs, and their Personae disappeared to be replaced by... new ones? ...Well, shit. "I _was saying_ that we should have a goddamned talk, is that fine with you?" However, they remained on stand-by while Blue-Hair and Atsuro came up to me. About time too, dreams hurt.

Their Personae surrounded me as they approached; can't blame them really, it's a smart move. One that won't benefit them in the end, but it's a smart move. Blue-Hair was the one who spoke up first. "Well then Demon. How in the hell did you survive the Yamanote Circle without being entrapped by Babel?" He said, quite seriously.

"...Uh, what the hell are you talking about? Oh, is this some psychological stuff? Because believe me, I don't think i'm a demon, and neither should you. I mean, come on now. This is all just a dream anyway, just go ahead and let me have some fun, yeah?" I said, grinning.

"You... You think this is some sort of game?" Atsuro shouted. "You start going insane in the middle of a _school,_ screaming in pain and throwing things everywhere with your little spells, and you think nobody would notice? Hell, you think this is some sort of dream? Then wake up. Men, take him in." He said, ordering the men to capture me. I shrugged, letting them cuff me. Figured it might turn out interesting anyway.

"So, what are you guys anyway? Running around, waving some freakin' games and summoning Personae with them. Maybe it'll give clues to my mental state, and why I even bothered making you guys." Blue-Hair glared at me disdainfully, snorting.

"We are the Tokushu Sakusen Gun, Demonic Division. I am the leader, Kaneko Daiki." (A/N: He's introducing himself in the Japanese fashion by the way, so in America it would be Daiki Kaneko.) "We are also the ones that are taking you in. Will you cooperate, Demon?" He said, somewhat pointlessly in my opinion.

"Well, mister Kaneko, I believe i've already let you cuff me and everything. Go ahead, take me in. Wonder where this dream'll go..." I said as Kaneko flagged down a helicopter. A few minutes later, I was stuffed awkwardly in between a couple of the camoflauged soldiers, and quite literally bolted to the hull of the plane. I laughed awkwardly, trying to make a bit of conversation, but everyone in the helicopter was absolutely silent. ...I shut up after a while, and I finally started wondering whether I was right about it being a dream...

=One More!=

Naoki Kishima stood on the hill overlooking Inaba, watching the helicopter slowly fly over his head. "Pfft. I swear, these new kids _really_ aren't cut out for this." He watched the helicopter until it was nearly out of sight, and then got into a running position. "Hmph. Suppose i'll have to help him out; might even become worth something if he stops this whole getting captured thing." A second later, he was gone.

A/N: Sorry if the ending was a bit rushed there, it's 1:30 AM and i've been writing this for about 6 hours now. If it's really _that_ bad, tell me in a review and i'll rewrite it sometime tomorrow and repost it. By the way, Tokushu Sakusen Gun translates to Special Forces Group. ...You can see why I used the Japanese name for that. And yes, it actually exists. It's more or less the equivalent of Delta Force, so I figured only they would be given control over the demons. Oh, and yes, it's going off Nocturne's Neutral path and Devil Survivor's Atsuro Route. This time I actually have plans for this. And yes, they will be pretty awesome.


End file.
